Fishing at Pine Lake, Montgomery County, Maryland

• Overview

  This water sits in Montgomery County, Maryland. Tidal water begins 11 miles from here. At roughly 4 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Our Montgomery County list holds plenty of bigger water. Glenmont sits 0.6 miles from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Wheaton at 1.3 miles and Kemp Mill at 1.5 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Pine Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Fish documented in Montgomery County include bluegill, largemouth bass and fantail darter. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Pine Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 77°F in July and bottom out at 33°F in January. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Pine Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. Somewhere to sit and eat is half a mile out. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Big Millpond, 2 miles out. Rules at Pine Lake are worth checking on the day.