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Fishing Damariscotta Lake: what the data says
4,300-acre lake near Jefferson. The lake tops out around 116 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Brown Trout fishing at Damariscotta Lake
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Creek inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Damariscotta Lake
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rock reef: a rock pile around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 107 ft
- Deepest basin: deep basin, around 107 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 27 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 18 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 14 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 12 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 10 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 9 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 8 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 7 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 7 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 6 ft
Common questions
How deep is Damariscotta Lake?
Damariscotta Lake is about 116 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Damariscotta Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, brown trout on Damariscotta Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Damariscotta Lake?
Creek inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 12 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Damariscotta Lake?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
China Lake · Megunticook Lake · Cobbosseecontee Lake · Messalonskee Lake · Great Pond · Kennebec River
See how Damariscotta Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Maine · best brown trout lakes in Maine
Browse all Maine fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.