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Best landlocked salmon lakes in Maine

89 Maine waters hold landlocked salmon, 86 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. Lake-dwelling Atlantic salmon that lives and dies by the smelt run. Ice-out surface fishing at its finest.

1. Moosehead Lake — 240 ft max · survey depth data · 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
2. Chesuncook Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
3. East Grand Lake — 127 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
4. Sebago Lake — 314 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Lake TroutWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
5. Grand Lake — 120 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
6. Eagle Lake — 135 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
7. West Grand Lake — 127 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
8. Scopan Lake — 58 ft max · survey depth data · Landlocked Salmon, SplakeWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
9. Sebec Lake — 155 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
10. Lower Sysladobsis Lake — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #10: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
11. Spednic Lake — 54.1 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #11: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 1 public access site
12. Pemadumcook Lake — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook TroutWhy #12: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
13. Big Lake — 92 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked Salmon, White PerchWhy #13: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
14. Umbagog Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow PerchWhy #14: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
15. Nicatous Lake — 42 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Brook TroutWhy #15: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
16. Caucomgomoc Lake — 79 ft max · survey depth data · Landlocked Salmon, White Perch, PumpkinseedWhy #16: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
17. Meddybemps Lake — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, Chain Pickerel, PumpkinseedWhy #17: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
18. Rangeley Lake — 148 ft max · survey depth data · Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #18: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites
19. First Roach Pond — 123 ft max · survey depth data · Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #19: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
20. Ragged Lake — 54 ft max · survey depth data · Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked Salmon, BurbotWhy #20: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
21. Kezar Lake — 161 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Lake Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #21: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
22. Little Ossipee Lake — 72 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Yellow PerchWhy #22: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
23. St Froid Lake — 114 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #23: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
24. Lobster Lake — 107 ft max · survey depth data · Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout, Landlocked SalmonWhy #24: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · no verified access record attached
25. Long Lake — 59 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Landlocked SalmonWhy #25: mapped size signal; contours are approximated · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented

…plus 64 more Maine waters holding landlocked salmon.

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When to fish landlocked salmon in Maine

• Spring 1–15 ft — The legendary ice-out bite: salmon follow spawning smelt to tributary mouths and windblown shorelines, right on the surface.
• Summer 25–60 ft — Salmon hold just above the thermocline with the smelt schools — depth control decides the day.
• Fall 5–30 ft — Turnover scatters bait and salmon shallow; spawners stage off tributary mouths, hot-tempered and territorial.
• Winter 10–40 ft — Where winter seasons allow, salmon cruise for smelt under the ice — sewn bait near a drop is the classic set.

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 chain pickerel 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

Landlocked Salmon elsewhere: Ontario · Sweden · Québec · Finland · New Hampshire · New York · New Brunswick · Connecticut · Vermont