Best Fishing Spots in Maine

Maine is a low state with a hard winter, and that combination shapes the fishing. Elevation runs from sea level to just over 1,000 metres with a median of 177, so there is no altitude effect to speak of; what governs the season is latitude. Ice covers lakes through the winter and ice fishing is an established part of the year rather than a pause, with ice-out arriving through April and the weeks after fishing strongest. Natural lakes dominate heavily over reservoirs. The county structure is unusual: Maine has only 16 counties, far fewer than states with comparable water, so each covers a large area and the practical unit for planning a trip is the region rather than the county. The coast adds saltwater fishing on separate rules. The catalogue covers 2,516 waters in Maine, spread over 16 counties. By type it is mostly natural lakes, with reservoirs next. By area, nothing beats Moosehead Lake at about 118 sq miles. Climate averages across these waters run 13°F in the cold month and 66°F in the warm one. Ice-out most often lands around late April, though the north and south of the state differ. Across the listed waters, the species reported most are Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brown trout and smallmouth bass....