Fishing Season: Iceout into November

Downeast Lakes - ME

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

55

Weatherby's's Tip of the Week

Gravel shallows for spawning fish in the warm lakes. Coming into peak fishing conditions.

Directions open in app

Map of Downeast Lakes

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Weatherby’s Lodge

5-Day Outlook as of 5/19/25

warming temps, warming fish. Bass are on beds in warm lakes. Fishing is hot.

Techniques & Tips as of 5/19/25

Trolling flies, lures or smelt on surface. Pre-spawn smallmouth on the bottom at mouth of streams feeding. Full sink or sink tip lines with buggers and baitfish patterns. Try top water for smallmouth in the shallows and around structure.

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

Every angler needs an assortment of these weighted attractor Bead Head Woolly Bugger Streamer flies.

2.49

Item #0311

Buy Now

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:

smelt, crayfish, alewife

Best Time to Fish:

High Noon

Best Stretch:

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

Best Access:

Varies