Second Lake Fishing Guide, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Maine holds Second Lake, in Washington County. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. This is sizeable water at about 316 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. There is roughly 5.6 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Ground here is low by Maine standards. East Machias lies 9.8 miles from the water. It is 193 miles to Dartmouth, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Second Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Second Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 66°F and January at 17°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Second Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Rocky Lake at 1.8 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Second Lake.