Third Chain Lake in Washington County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Washington County end of Maine holds Third Chain Lake. Height above sea level is 230 feet. About 312 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. St. Stephen sits 24 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Sherbrooke, 204 miles away. If this one is busy: North Beaverdam Lake lies 1.7 miles on, Horse Lake 2.1 miles off, Second Chain Lake lies 2.1 miles on, Silver Pug Lake 2.2 miles off and Possum Lake lies 2.4 miles on. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Third Chain Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Washington County: alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Fish Third Chain Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 16°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on Third Chain Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, North Beaverdam Lake is 1.7 miles off. Treat Third Chain Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.