Best Ice Fishing Lakes in Maine

Short answer: for togue (lake trout), start with Moosehead Lake, Sebago Lake, West Grand Lake, East Grand Lake, Schoodic Lake and Sebec Lake. For landlocked salmon, add Chesuncook Lake, Rangeley Lake and Mooselookmeguntic Lake. For brook trout, Moosehead and the Rangeley chain are the big-water picks, and small stocked ponds are the easy ones. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) lists all of these as lakes with a primary fishery for those species.

Why these lakes: IFW lists each with lake trout, landlocked salmon or brook trout as a primary fishery, and many of those populations are wild. Several are large. Sebago is 28,771 acres and 316 feet deep. Moosehead is 74,890 acres and 246 feet deep.

For white perch, pickerel, smelt and cusk, see the species notes below. We give no catch rates and no records.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Ice safety first

Maine IFW says ice conditions are always changing and vary from one waterbody to the next. It also says color alone cannot guarantee "safe" ice. Here is what IFW publishes, labeled as IFW guidance.

• Under 4 inches: stay off.
• 4 inches: may allow ice fishing or other activity on foot.
• 5 to 7 inches: often allows a snowmobile or ATV.
• 8 to 12 inches: supports most cars or small pickups.
• 12 to 15 inches: will likely hold a medium truck.

IFW says these are guidelines for new, clear (blue) ice on lakes and ponds. White ice is only about half as strong. IFW also says ice can be 12 inches in one spot and two or three inches 20 feet away. Use a chisel or auger and check as you go, starting at the shore. Stay away from inlets, outlets, currents, bridges and pressure ridges. IFW's rule of thumb: if you don't know, don't go.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. Carry ice picks.

Lake by lake

These facts come from IFW's regional fishing guides. "Wild" and "stocked" are IFW's labels.

Moosehead Lake (Greenville)

Maine's largest lake, and IFW says it runs 40 miles long. IFW lists brook trout and lake trout as wild and landlocked salmon as stocked and wild. A January 2018 IFW report said winter fishing there is very good for lake trout and brook trout. That report is old, so treat it as background.

Sebago Lake (Cumberland County)

IFW lists landlocked salmon (stocked and wild) and wild lake trout. An IFW staff writer wrote in 2018 that togue fishing ran steady through whole days on the ice, with jigging flashy spoons just off the bottom working well. That report is also from 2018. Special rules may apply on Sebago, so check them before you drill.

Rangeley Lakes

IFW lists Mooselookmeguntic (16,300 acres) with wild landlocked salmon and wild brook trout. Rangeley Lake (6,000 acres) has both species, stocked and wild. Richardson Lakes list lake trout too. Check the current law for each lake before you plan a trip.

Grand Lake region

West Grand Lake (14,340 acres, 128 feet deep) lists landlocked salmon, wild lake trout and wild lake whitefish. Big Lake (10,305 acres) lists landlocked salmon. East Grand Lake (16,070 acres) lists stocked salmon, wild lake trout and stocked brook trout. A 2018 IFW report noted West Grand opened to ice fishing on February 1 that year. Opening dates are set by rule, so confirm the current one.

Sebec and Schoodic lakes

Sebec Lake (6,803 acres, 155 feet deep) lists wild landlocked salmon and stocked lake trout. Schoodic Lake (7,168 acres, 188 feet deep) lists stocked salmon, wild lake trout and stocked brook trout.

Chesuncook Lake

IFW lists wild landlocked salmon and wild brook trout on Chesuncook and Caribou lakes, 26,200 acres combined. Check the current salmon rules before you go.

Belgrade Lakes area

Great Pond (8,239 acres) lists wild landlocked salmon and stocked brown trout. Echo Lake in Mount Vernon (1,185 acres, 117 feet deep) lists salmon, lake trout and brook trout. IFW's Belgrade Lakes region notes many waters offer year-round fishing.

By species

• Lake trout (togue): IFW says fish points that run into deeper water, in 15 to 40 feet, and that lake trout can be caught anywhere from 10 to 100 feet. Try both traps and jigging.
• Landlocked salmon: IFW says target the first 15 feet below the ice.
• Brook trout: IFW says stay shallow, 4 to 12 feet, near shore.
• Perch and pickerel: IFW says warmwater fish like perch and chain pickerel favor cover such as weed beds, wood and rocks, and that jigging in 5 to 20 feet can be very effective. IFW calls warmwater species (yellow perch, largemouth bass and pickerel) one of the best ways to get started, since they often make for fast fishing. The Penobscot region guide names pickerel and white perch waters in the lower Penobscot drainage.
• Smelt: smelt are bait and forage. IFW lists smelt as a good bait for salmon and lake trout. Smelt rules differ from other fish, so read the law.
• Cusk: if you fish through the ice for cusk at night, check every line at least once an hour. That is state law.

Maine ice rules that matter

• Five lines. Unless a rule says otherwise, you may fish through the ice with no more than 5 lines, set or otherwise. Open water is two lines. IFW says traps and jigging rods both count.
• Stay with your lines. All lines must be under your immediate supervision.
• Closed unless opened. All inland waters are closed to ice fishing except those opened by rule. Special rules apply to many waters.
• No open water fishing from the ice. It is unlawful to open water fish in inland waters while on the ice.
• Shacks. A shack or temporary structure must carry the owner's name and address in 2-inch letters, and must come off by ice out or March 31, whichever is earlier, where there is no closed season. If you run a sleeper house, read that rule twice.
• Litter. Abandoned shacks count as litter. Fines run up to $500 for a first offense.

Rule text above comes from Maine statute and the state law book as reprinted on eRegulations. That reprint is a third party copy, so check the current Maine Fishing Laws before you go. IFW's online angling tool lists the special rules for each water.

Before you go

1. Test the ice yourself at every spot.
2. Look up the current rules for the lake.
3. Tell someone your plan.
4. Pack a chisel, ice picks and creepers.

No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

FAQ

What is the best ice fishing lake in Maine?

It depends on the fish. IFW lists Moosehead, Sebago, West Grand and Schoodic for lake trout. It lists Chesuncook, Rangeley and Mooselookmeguntic for landlocked salmon.

How thick does ice need to be in Maine?

IFW says to stay off ice under 4 inches. It says 4 inches may allow ice fishing on foot. Those numbers are for new, clear ice only. No ice is ever 100% safe. Check it yourself.

How many lines can you use ice fishing in Maine?

Five, unless a special rule says otherwise. Open water allows two. All lines must be under your immediate supervision.

When do Maine lakes lock up?

It varies by lake and by year. IFW says ice conditions are always changing. Look for current reports and test the ice yourself at first ice.