Second Lake Fishing near Fort Kent, Maine

• Overview

  Look for Second Lake in the Aroostook County part of Maine. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. About 19 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Nearest place of any size is Fort Kent, 10 miles away. The big place round here is Lévis, 127 miles distant. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Second Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Aroostook County include Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout and lake whitefish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The near bank of Second Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 6°F in January to roughly 64°F in July. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Second Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. First Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Second Lake in what we hold.