Fishing at Timoney Lake, Aroostook County, Maine

• Overview

  Timoney Lake sits within Aroostook County in Maine. The surface lies 610 feet up. It measures about 55 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. A shoreline of some 1.6 miles keeps the choices simple. Hodgdon is the closest place, 11 miles off. Beyond it, Houlton at 12 miles and Patten at 19 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Timoney Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Aroostook County: Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Timoney Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 66°F and January near 11°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Timoney Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A slipway 110 yards out gives trailer access. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Carson Pond, 0.9 miles away. For Timoney Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.