Fishing at West Arm Clifford Lake, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Washington County in Maine is where West Arm Clifford Lake sits. Land around it is lake country bush. Nearest town is St. Stephen, 21 miles off. Calais lies 22 miles off, Machias another 27 miles. Also worth knowing: Carloe Pond at about 2 miles, Hosea Pug Lake after 2.1 miles, Silver Pug Lake at about 2.3 miles, North Beaverdam Lake after 3 miles and Possum Lake at about 3.1 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on West Arm Clifford Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Reed and marsh margins hold fish through the moving hours. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Washington County records list alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish West Arm Clifford Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 16°F in January and 67°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about early December in an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on West Arm Clifford Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Carloe Pond is 2 miles distant. Treat access at West Arm Clifford Lake as something to verify.