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Fishing Nahmakanta Lake: what the data says
986-acre lake near T1 R11 WELS. The lake tops out around 110 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. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Lake Trout fishing at Nahmakanta Lake
Spring lake trout on Nahmakanta Lake hold shallow, usually 10 to 40 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 33 to 110 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 80 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 108 ft that scores prime in summer. Plan around early morning in the warm months. Tie on a white tube jig (deep) or a magnum spoon on downrigger and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon over shoals, Jerkbait (shallow) |
| Summer | 33 to 110 ft | dawn | White tube jig (deep), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk & dawn | Heavy casting spoon, Jigging rap over reefs |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | White tube jig, Airplane jig |
Landlocked Salmon fishing at Nahmakanta Lake
In spring, landlocked salmon run shallow here, mostly 1 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 25 to 60 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. Rainbow Stream inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for spring landlocked salmon. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + streamer down deep or a thin spoon on lead core gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Streamer flies (Grey Ghost) off boards, Thin spoon (Mooselook style) |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + streamer down deep, Thin spoon on lead core |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon at the mouths, Streamers |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Swedish pimple + smelt |
White Perch fishing at Nahmakanta Lake
In spring, white perch run shallow here, mostly 4 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. Rainbow Stream inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 13 ft, rated prime for spring white perch. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Brook Trout fishing at Nahmakanta Lake
Start shallow in spring: brook trout sit in 2 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Rainbow Stream inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 13 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Burbot fishing at Nahmakanta Lake
Spring burbot on Nahmakanta Lake hold shallow, usually 25 to 70 ft. By summer they slide out to 33 to 110 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 60 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 108 ft of water that rates prime for burbot in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and midday. Summer baits: a heavy jig + cut bait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 25 to 70 ft | night & dusk | Glow jigging spoon + cut bait, Rattle bait (dark) |
| Summer | 33 to 110 ft | night & midday | Heavy jig + cut bait |
| Fall | 30 to 80 ft | night & dusk | Glow spoon + minnow head, Blade bait (slow) |
| Winter | 15 to 60 ft | night & dusk | Glow tungsten + cut bait, Rattle spoon + minnow head |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Nahmakanta Lake
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 22 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| 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 |
Nahmakanta Lake also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 108 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 70 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 33 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 22 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 21 ft
- Wadleigh Stream inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 17 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 14 ft
- Rainbow Stream inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 13 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 12 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Nahmakanta Lake?
Nahmakanta Lake is about 110 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 Nahmakanta Lake?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, yellow perch, lake trout, brook trout, landlocked salmon, burbot, white perch on Nahmakanta Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Nahmakanta Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 108 ft of water that rates prime for lake trout in summer. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Nahmakanta Lake?
For lake trout, the summer bite is best in 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
Prentiss Pond · Bear Pond · Doughnut Pond · Pollywog Pond · Fourth Debsconeag Lake · Rainbow Lake
See how Nahmakanta Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Maine · best yellow perch lakes in Maine · best lake trout lakes in Maine · best brook 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.