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Best chain pickerel lakes in Maine

78 Maine waters hold chain pickerel, 75 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The eastern esox — a lie-in-wait weed-bed assassin that bites all year, including through the ice.

1. Grand Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
2. West Grand Lake — 127 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
3. Lower Sysladobsis Lake — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. Spednic Lake — 54.1 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #4: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
5. Pemadumcook Lake — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
6. Umbagog Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
7. Nicatous Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Gardner Lake — 58 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Brook Trout, Chain PickerelWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Pushaw Lake — 29 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Chain Pickerel, White PerchWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
10. Great Pond — 92 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Sebasticook Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Chain PickerelWhy #11: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
12. Meddybemps Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Chain Pickerel, PumpkinseedWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
13. Upper Pleasant Pond — 26 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, CrappieWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
14. Baskahegan Lake — 22 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Chain PickerelWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
15. Kezar Lake — 161 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
16. Cross Lake — 46 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brown TroutWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Woodland Flowage — 24 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Chain PickerelWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Pocomoonshine Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Chain PickerelWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
19. Cold Stream Pond — 103 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Chain PickerelWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
20. Hadley Lake — 31 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Landlocked SalmonWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Upper Mattawamkeag Lk — 47 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked Salmon, Chain Pickerel, White PerchWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
22. Pleasant Lake — 63 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, Burbot, White PerchWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
23. Pemaquid Pond — 61 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Chain PickerelWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Unity Pond — 41 ft max · survey depth data · Crappie, Brook Trout, Chain Pickerel, BurbotWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
25. Rocky Lake — 34 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Chain Pickerel, PumpkinseedWhy #25: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site

…plus 53 more Maine waters holding chain pickerel.

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When to fish chain pickerel in Maine

• Spring 2–10 ft — Early spawner: post-spawn fish prowl warming, weedy bays and eat everything that moves.
• Summer 3–15 ft — Classic ambush game: weed edges, pad fields and dock shade — flashy, steady retrieves.
• Fall 4–15 ft — Feeding hard around the last green weeds as water cools.
• Winter 5–18 ft — One of ice fishing's most reliable biters — shiners on tip-ups over weed flats.

Also in Maine: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best striped bass lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best lake whitefish lakes · best burbot lakes · best white perch lakes · best arctic char lakes · best splake lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes · best bluefish lakes · best atlantic herring lakes · best atlantic mackerel lakes · best atlantic cod lakes

Chain Pickerel elsewhere: Québec · New Hampshire · New York · Massachusetts · New Brunswick · Connecticut · Vermont · Nova Scotia · New Jersey · Delaware · Rhode Island