Fishing Season: Iceout into November

Downeast Lakes - ME

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

60

Weatherby's's Tip of the Week

Fishing shoals and edges of weed beds has been productive this week. Moving water is also producing both quality and quantity.

Directions open in app

Map of Downeast Lakes

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Weatherby’s Lodge

5-Day Outlook as of 10/2/23

Fall smallmouth fishing is here. Smallmouth and largemouth are still going strong and the bite will continue for the foreseeable future. Watch for out migration of juvenile alewife. Bass love 'em!

Techniques & Tips as of 10/2/23

casting top water bugs tight to weed beds should get fish to come to the top. Sink tips or full sink to get your flies to the feeding fish.

Local Species Available Iceout into November

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    smallmouth bass

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    salmon

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    togue

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    chain pickerel

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    white perch

Weatherby's's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Bead Head Woolly Bugger Streamer N/A 4
Cone Head Muddler Minnow N/A 4
Mickey Finn N/A 4
Sneaky Pete Popper N/A
gray Ghost N/A 2
Black Ghost N/A 2
Barnes Special N/A 2
Joes Smelt N/A 2

Bead Head Woolly Bugger Streamer

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Item #0311

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Weatherby's's Recommended Gear

Description: About Downeast Lakes

With more than a dozen cool, clear glacial lakes surrounding Grand Lake Stream in Eastern Maine, the region has become famous for world-class fishing for smallmouth bass. With the likes of Joe Brooks, H.G. Tappley, W.G Tappley, Harold Blaisdell, Dave Whitlock and numerous other fishing icons putting ink to paper, the Downeast Lakes Region of Maine fast became a first rate destination for "bugging" for smallmouth. West Grand, Big, Junior, Sysladobsis, Pocumcus, Wabassus, Pocomoonshine, Crawford, Musquash are but a few of the lakes to fish in the region. All have their own character and secrets; most are pristine and undeveloped, protected through local conservation in perpetuity. During the prime season you will often be the only angler fishing "your" lake. The pre-spawn fishing begins mid-May and the spawn, lasting late-May through late-June, provide the best top water fishing with hard bodied or deer hair bugs you can find. During mid-summer you can find the smallmouth in weeds chasing bait or off the shoals with sinking lines and Clouser minnows. Pick your poison. On top or sub-surface - The Downeast Lakes Region of eastern Maine has the smallmouth fishery you have been reading about for years.

Nearest Airport:

Bangor International - Commercial / Princeton - Private Planes

Hatches:

carpenter ants and dragon flies, damsel flies

Best Time to Fish:

High Noon

Best Stretch:

Big, West Grand, Machias, Wabassus, Pocumcus, Syslodobsis, St. Croix

Best Access:

Varies