Moosehead Lake is a fishing paradise with over 75,000-acres to fish and a variety of species to go after. The fun doesn’t end when the snow flies, either. Ice fishing Moosehead Lake is extremely popular, with the official ice fishing season running from January 1st through April 30th.
Winters at Moosehead Lake are nothing short of spectacular. Once the snow flies and the lake freezes over, it’s almost an entirely different world. Snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing, and ice-fishing are the recreations of choice, with ice shacks dotting the lake.
If ice fishing Moosehead Lake is something you’d like to do, just let us know and we’ll help get you going! Our Moosehead Lake bed and breakfast, Lodge at Moosehead Lake, offers quick access to the lake and we love sharing the area with our guests.
Ice Fishing Moosehead Lake
Ice fishing can be a lot of fun and you can see why it’s such a popular winter pastime. Here at Moosehead Lake, anglers can expect to haul togue, brook trout, cusk, and salmon in during the winter months. Salmon can often be caught right under the ice!
For those who’ve never had the opportunity to try ice fishing, the process is pretty simple.
You drill a hole in the ice, bait the hook of your “tip-up” or jigging rod, set it up, then sit back and wait for the fish to come. Many employ portable ice shacks to stay warm. They also bring chairs, food, cooking gear, and more, often on snowmobiles and ATVs. It really is a lot of fun!
You’ll need a Maine fishing license to put your line in the water, and to familiarize yourself with state fishing rules and regulations. This free Maine Fishing Guide covers all the particulars.
The again, there is a Maine Free Fishing Weekend coming up on February 19-20, 2022. Maine Free Fishing Weekends allow anyone to fish, with or without a license or not. All other fishing laws and regulations apply, of course.
Moosehead Lake Togue Derby with Ricky Craven
The annual Moosehead Lake Togue Derby is one of the highlights of the winter season.
This fun weekend celebrates the ice fishing tradition of the Moosehead Lake Region with a derby, hosted by NASCAR personality Ricky Craven. Prizes are awarded for the first, second, and third largest togue, ranked by weight. 1st place earns $1,500, 2nd place $500, and 3rd place $250. Ricky Craven will be at the event, cruising around the lake on his sled during the weekend and at the final weigh-in on Sunday afternoon.
Even more exciting, you don’t need to fish to be a winner.
Just buying a ticket enters you in a drawing for over 50 different door prizes awarded throughout the weekend. Gift cards, gift certificates, gas cards, sports tickets, goods, and a big check for $1,500!
The Togue Derby began in 2008 as a strategy to help control the lake’s then exploding togue population in Maine’s largest lake. The strategy proved successful, showing increased health in the lake’s salmon and togue populations in just four short years. Consequently, contestants can join in the derby knowing they’re not just having fun but helping the lake, too.
This year’s Moosehead Lake Togue Derby is scheduled for the weekend of January 28, 2022. Visit nrecmoosehead.org for more information and tickets. You can also find this event on Facebook.