Fishing at Silver Lake, Kennebec County, Maine

• Overview

  Within Kennebec County, Maine, you have Silver Lake. The country here is pine and birch. It runs to roughly 35 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 1.5 miles of margin, front to back. 3.7 miles away sits Belgrade, the nearest town. Sherbrooke is the closest city, 123 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Silver Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name brown trout, Atlantic salmon, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Silver Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 69°F on average, January about 18°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Anyone fishing Silver Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. This sits inside Tyler Pond Wildlife Management Area, so read the reserve notices first. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Doctors Pond, 0.3 miles away. Ask locally about Silver Lake if anything is unclear.