Best brook trout lakes in Maine
486 Maine waters list brook trout (official records or labelled estimates), 476 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The native char of cold ponds and streams. Needs the coldest, cleanest water in the lake.
Current agency evidence
What Maine IFW says to plan around
Maine IFW describes brook trout as coldwater fish that prefer 50–65°F. Its seasonal guidance puts them near shore or the surface in spring and fall, commonly 10–35 feet deep in summer, and close to shore in 4–12 feet during winter. Maine also reports intact lake and pond brook-trout populations in 185 subwatersheds, an unusually important wild resource. Check the current law for every individual water before fishing.
Sources: Maine IFW brook trout species information · Maine IFW wild brook trout resource
- Moosehead Lake — 240 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 10 public access sites, 2 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Chesuncook Lake — 150 ft max · real survey depth contours · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Chamberlain Lake — 152 ft max · real survey depth contours · Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- East Grand Lake — 127 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Grand Lake — 120 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Big Eagle Lake — 122 ft max · real survey depth contours · Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Lake Whitefish, BurbotWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Eagle Lake — 135 ft max · real survey depth contours · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- West Grand Lake — 127 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Seboomook Lake — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook TroutWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Scopan Lake — 58 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, SplakeWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Aziscohos Lake — 63 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook TroutWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Lower Sysladobsis Lake — 66 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Spednic Lake — 54.1 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #13: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
- Pemadumcook Lake — 100 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Messalonskee Lake — 113 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Umbagog Lake — 35 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Square Lake — 122 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Burbot, White PerchWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Nicatous Lake — 42 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Gardner Lake — 58 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Brook Trout, Chain PickerelWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Harvey Pond — 48 ft max · real survey depth contours · Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- China Lake — 92 ft max · real survey depth contours · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brook TroutWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Meddybemps Lake — 40 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Chain Pickerel, PumpkinseedWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Schoodic Lake — 187 ft max · real survey depth contours · Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Chase Lake — 31 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook TroutWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
- Rangeley Lake — 148 ft max · real survey depth contours · Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
…plus 461 more Maine waters holding brook trout.
Find the closest brook trout waters to you →
How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Maine waters with public access data
When to fish brook trout in Maine
- Spring 2–15 ft — Ice-out scatters brookies along shorelines and inflow mouths, feeding on the first insect activity.
- Summer 10–30 ft — Brookies hold where the coldest water is — spring holes, deep basin edges and inflow plumes.
- Fall 2–15 ft — Fall is the show: brilliant spawning colors on gravel shoals and inflow gravel.
- Winter 3–20 ft — A classic ice-fishing target — active all winter in shallow to mid-depth water.
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