Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up free Sign inSign up freeShared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
3,691-acre lake near Belgrade. The lake tops out around 113 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. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Drawn out, this is 3,648 acres of water rimmed by 23.2 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. An index of 2.7 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. 37% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 8.7 mi end to end and 1.5 mi across at its widest. The water lies in Kennebec County. For a second option, Great Pond lies 4 mi northwest.
Start shallow in spring: crappie sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 3 to 20 ft for winter. Summer brook trout concentrate at Sharp break, a prime-rated drop-off around 20 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (3 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Come spring, look for brown trout tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 58 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (24 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (58 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Rock reef (5 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Sharp break (20 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 6 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shoreline point (3 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Sharp break (20 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: northern pike sit in 2 to 8 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 15 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for northern pike in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a bucktail or a weedless spoon over cabbage until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | #5 inline spinner, Spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Weed flat (7 ft) | Bucktail, Weedless spoon over cabbage |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), Husky-style jerkbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Tip-ups, Large jigging spoon |
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Rock reef, a rock pile in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (5 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sharp break (20 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (24 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Sharp break (43 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Messalonskee Lake also holds splake (25 to 60 ft in summer), white perch (15 to 40 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Count 15 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 107 ft.
Access data: Maine GeoLibrary — Boat Launches (Maine IF&W / DACF). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 7 | Splake | 200 | ~10" |
| Jun 2 | Splake | 200 | ~10" |
| Jun 1 | Brook Trout | 500 | ~9" |
| May 14 | Brook Trout | 250 | ~9" |
| Apr 16 | Brook Trout | 250 | ~9" |
Source: Maine IFW stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Maine waters are set by the Maine IFW — and special regulations can apply to Messalonskee Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Maine fishing regulations →
Messalonskee Lake is about 113 ft (34 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target crappie, brook trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, splake, white perch on Messalonskee Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For crappie, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Maine IFW stocking report records, Messalonskee Lake was most recently stocked Jun 7 with 200 splake. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Messalonskee Lake is regulated by the Maine IFW. Check the official Maine regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Great Pond 4 mi · Webber Pond 8 mi · China Lake 11 mi · Kennebec River 13 mi · Echo Lake 13 mi · Cobbosseecontee Lake 17 mi · Annabessacook Lake 18 mi · Clary Lake 22 mi · Clearwater Lake 22 mi · St George Lake 23 mi · Upper Pleasant Pond 24 mi · Washington Pond 24 mi
See how Messalonskee Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Maine · best smallmouth bass lakes in Maine · best northern pike lakes in Maine · best crappie lakes in Maine
More water nearby: Kennebec County fishing maps (7 charts). Browse all Maine fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.