I'm no expert ice fisherman, but I love it, and every outing inevitably makes for a great story. As long as you have the right gear, it's a perfect way to enjoy spending some time outside with a group of friends on the coldest winter days. A heater, a speaker, a cooler, and life is sweet. And hey, if you end the day with some fish to take home, well that's a great bonus!
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of ice fishing on Moosehead Lake. If you haven't heard of it, it's actually the largest lake in Maine- 75,471 acres with over 400 miles of shoreline! It is absolutely beautiful, surrounded by miles and miles of untouched wilderness, it's an amazing destination if you're really wanting that sense of escape. It's a huge lake, but the shoreline is relatively uninhabited. I've visited the town of Rockwood in the summer months, so I decided to head there for this winter getaway, too.
Our setup wasn't far from the tall and mighty Mount Kineo...it may look small in the photo, but don't be fooled. The face is 700-foot cliff of vertical rhyolite rising straight from the water. It makes for an incredible backdrop to any adventure, no matter the season. This lake that Kineo stands tall in is said to be one of the best cold water fishing destinations for trophy trout, but we didn't strike it that lucky. Granted, the weather wasn't ideal for fishing most of the weekend. As for the time that we did get on the ice, we landed plenty of fish, but nothing I would designate a true "trophy."
It sure was fun, though. We saw two moose and more bald eagles than I could count during the outing, and we caught enough to have a fresh fish fry on our last night. Overall, it was a win in my book.
I know there are tons of lakes and ponds to explore in this area. Has anyone spent much time that far north in Maine? I would love to hear of some other great places to drop a line!
