Lakes & Ponds

East Grand Lake sprawls across nearly 16,000 acres on the Maine-New Brunswick border, an underrated two-story fishery with wild and stocked landlocked salmon, largely wild lake trout, and superb June smallmouth. It fishes like a destination water without the destination crowds.

First Roach Pond spreads 3,320 acres of coldwater trout habitat across the woods at Kokadjo, northeast of Moosehead Lake, holding brook trout, landlocked salmon, and lake trout. Its outlet is the fabled fly-fishing-only Roach River, making the pond the headwater of one of Maine's great salmon fisheries.

Kennebago Lake is the largest fly-fishing-only lake east of the Mississippi, a cold, deep sheet of water in Maine's Rangeley high country sustained entirely by wild brook trout and landlocked salmon. Its evening rises, July Hex hatch, and fall run of big brookies into the Kennebago River make it a pilgrimage water for stillwater fly anglers.

Moosehead Lake is Maine's largest lake, a 74,890-acre inland sea at Greenville that has anchored the state's landlocked salmon, togue, and wild brook trout fishing for a century and a half. Its smelt-driven ice-out streamer fishery at the great river mouths remains the flagship coldwater stillwater experience in Maine.

Mooselookmeguntic Lake is the largest water in Maine's Rangeley chain, 16,359 acres of wild brook trout and landlocked salmon water at 1,467 feet. Its outlet at Upper Dam is where Carrie Stevens tied the Grey Ghost in 1924, making this lake sacred ground for the American streamer tradition.

Pierce Pond is one of Maine's legendary trophy waters, 1,650 acres of cold, deep water in the remote Carrying Place country west of the Kennebec, famous for wild brook trout to five pounds and better. Anchored by the historic Cobb's Pierce Pond Camps, it pairs ice-out salmon streamers with one of the state's storied late-June Hexagenia hatches.

Rangeley Lake is the historic heart of American brook trout fly fishing, 6,302 acres of cold water at 1,518 feet in Maine's western mountains. Wild brook trout and landlocked salmon, ice-out smelt runs, and summer hex evenings keep the tradition alive today.

Sebago Lake is Maine's deepest lake and the original home water of the landlocked Atlantic salmon, whose scientific name — Salmo salar sebago — honors this 29,992-acre giant northwest of Portland. Trophy salmon and self-sustaining lake trout chase smelt here from ice-out through fall, with the Songo and Crooked River mouths the classic fly-rod water.

Upper Richardson Lake is the wild heart of the Rangeley chain, 4,549 acres of brook trout, landlocked salmon, and lake trout water stretching from the storied Upper Dam pool to the Narrows. With no paved road on its shores, it offers a roadless-feel fishery steeped in Maine streamer history.

West Grand Lake is one of Maine's premier landlocked salmon waters, 14,467 acres of Downeast lake country joined at its outlet dam to the famous fly-fishing-only Grand Lake Stream. Ice-out smelt streamers, wild lake trout, summer smallmouth, and a living guide culture built around the Grand Laker canoe make it a destination stillwater.

Ackley Lake is a 226-acre prairie reservoir southwest of Lewistown, wrapped in its own Montana state park with boat ramps, camping, and easy shoreline access. Heavy annual rainbow plants and a shallow, chironomid-rich basin make it one of central Montana's most approachable and least fly-pressured stillwaters.

Browns Lake is a 549-acre trophy rainbow stillwater in the Blackfoot Valley near Ovando, shallow enough that its fish are almost always within reach of a floating line. Dense chironomid emergences, Callibaetis, and June damselfly migrations over broad weed flats make it one of western Montana's favorite fly-only-minded lakes.

Canyon Ferry Lake is a 33,534-acre Missouri River reservoir spread across the valley floor east of Helena, the largest and most heavily managed trout stillwater in west-central Montana. Fly anglers come for the shallow weedy flats on the north end and a renowned fall shoreline fishery for cruising rainbows.

Clark Canyon Reservoir is a 4,815-acre high-desert impoundment in the Beaverhead Valley that grows Eagle Lake-strain rainbows to trophy size on an enormous scud population. Indicator chironomid fishing from ice-out and summer Callibaetis gulpers over the flats make it one of Montana's most productive stillwaters for fly anglers.

Dailey Lake is a 205-acre natural stillwater tucked under the Absaroka Range southeast of Emigrant, a short drive off the Yellowstone River in Paradise Valley. Heavily stocked rainbows and Big Timber-strain Yellowstone cutthroat — including oversized retired broodstock — make it an underserved alternative to the crowded river below Livingston.

Georgetown Lake is Montana's premier trout stillwater, 2,818 shallow, weedy, spectacularly fertile acres perched at 6,336 feet below the Anaconda-Pintler peaks. Legendary Callibaetis gulper fishing, ice-out chironomid emergences, and June damselfly migrations make it the state's most complete fly-rod lake.

Hauser Reservoir is the middle impoundment of the Missouri River chain below Helena, 3,200 acres of canyon stillwater squeezed between Canyon Ferry and Holter. Rainbows, wild browns and a strong kokanee population share water that fishes like a lake in its bays and like a river at its upper end.

Hebgen Lake is the 12,563-acre Madison River reservoir west of West Yellowstone, and the most famous "gulper" water in the American West. On calm summer mornings, pods of rainbows and browns cruise the Madison and Grayling Arms sipping Callibaetis and Trico spinners within casting range of a wading angler.

Placid Lake is a deep, clear 1,211-acre stillwater in the Clearwater chain of the Seeley-Swan valley, holding westslope cutthroat, rainbow trout, and kokanee. A state park boat ramp, weedy shallow shelves, and far less traffic than neighboring Seeley Lake make it a quiet fly-rod alternative in western Montana.

Quake Lake was born in seconds on an August night in 1959, when an earthquake dropped a mountainside into the Madison River canyon and dammed it. Today the drowned forest holds a wild, unstocked population of rainbows, browns, westslope cutthroat and grayling in one of the most dramatic settings in Montana.

Dublin Lake is a strikingly deep 236-acre lake in New Hampshire's Monadnock region, plunging to 100 feet with a mean depth of 64 feet. Managed as a Designated Trout Pond stocked with brook trout over a rainbow smelt forage base, it is one of only two historic homes of the extinct silver trout.

First Connecticut Lake is the largest of Pittsburg's Connecticut Lakes, 3,071 acres of deep, cold, oligotrophic water in New Hampshire's remote Great North Woods. Managed for landlocked salmon over a wild trophy lake trout population, it anchors the state's most famous coldwater fishing country.

Lake Francis is the 1,934-acre Murphy Dam impoundment on the upper Connecticut River in Pittsburg, the one big water in the Connecticut Lakes chain that holds rainbows and browns alongside landlocked salmon and lake trout. Ice-out streamer fishing near the river inflow and the dam is the highlight of the fly angler's year.

Lake Sunapee is western New Hampshire's flagship coldwater lake, 4,125 gin-clear acres perched at nearly 1,100 feet with visibility that can approach thirty feet. Managed under New Hampshire's Large-Lake Program for landlocked salmon and holding wild lake trout over rainbow smelt, it is one of the state's premier ice-out streamer venues.

Lake Winnipesaukee is New Hampshire's largest lake and the flagship of the state's Large-Lake Fisheries Program, 44,422 acres of cold, island-studded water managed for landlocked salmon and lake trout. Ice-out smelt streamers and June smallmouth over the rocky shoals make it a two-act fly fishing destination.

Newfound Lake is one of New Hampshire's cleanest and deepest lakes, 4,451 acres of clear, cold water plunging to 182 feet in the heart of the Lakes Region. A premier Large-Lake Program fishery, it pairs stocked landlocked salmon and rainbows with wild lake trout over a strong rainbow smelt forage base.

Profile Lake is a 13-acre fly-fishing-only alpine tarn on the floor of Franconia Notch, tucked beneath the cliffs of Cannon Mountain at 1,930 feet. Shallow, cold, and glass-clear, it is a stocked brook trout pond where sight-fishing small dries and soft-hackles is the whole game.

Second Connecticut Lake is the higher, wilder sister of Pittsburg's Connecticut Lakes chain, 1,102 mesotrophic acres holding landlocked salmon, lake trout, and a wild brook trout component. Its dam outflow launches the famous fly-fishing-only headwater of the Connecticut River.

Squam Lake is New Hampshire's famously undeveloped Lakes Region jewel, 6,791 acres of clear, island-studded water managed for landlocked salmon and wild lake trout under the state's Large-Lake Fisheries Program. Ice-out streamers, Callibaetis coves, and a maze of rocky smallmouth shoals make it one of the most versatile fly-fishing lakes in New Hampshire.

Willard Pond is a 110-acre fly-fishing-only trout pond tucked inside NH Audubon's dePierrefeu Wildlife Sanctuary in Antrim, where petroleum motors are banned and the shoreline is undeveloped forest. Stocked with brook and rainbow trout each spring and surprisingly deep at 58 feet, it is southern New Hampshire's purest stillwater fly-fishing experience.

Canadice Lake is the smallest and highest of New York's Finger Lakes, 649 undeveloped acres of City of Rochester watershed water ringed by forest instead of cottages. A roughly 10-horsepower cap and a compact 95-foot basin make it arguably the best float-tube trout lake in western New York.

Chazy Lake spreads 1,807 acres beneath Lyon Mountain in the northern Adirondacks, a cold, largely undeveloped two-story lake holding lake trout, a huge stocked rainbow trout population, and rainbow smelt forage. Its shallow 33-foot mean depth keeps fish within fly-rod reach far later into spring than most Adirondack lakers waters.

Cranberry Lake is a 6,995-acre impoundment of the Oswegatchie River on the edge of the Five Ponds Wilderness, and one of the largest brook trout waters in the eastern United States. Shallow, tannic, and rimmed by miles of roadless Forest Preserve shoreline, it is classic Adirondack canoe-and-fly-rod water.

Hemlock Lake is one of the two undeveloped 'wild' Finger Lakes, an 1,800-acre Rochester water-supply lake ringed by forest instead of cottages. A roughly 10-horsepower cap keeps it a small-boat and float-tube fishery for stocked lake trout, rainbows, and browns.

Lake George is New York's flagship two-story coldwater lake, 28,451 acres of gin-clear Adirondack water with 82 miles of shoreline between Lake George village and Ticonderoga. Wild lake trout, stocked landlocked salmon, and outstanding smallmouth bass make it the state's premier big-lake fly fishery.

Lake Placid is the Adirondack High Peaks' signature trout lake, 2,173 acres of clear, cold water at 1,858 feet beside the famous Olympic village. Wild, naturally reproducing lake trout — this water once held the New York state record — share the lake with heavily stocked rainbows, browns, brook trout, and smallmouth bass.

Otsego Lake is James Fenimore Cooper's Glimmerglass, a 4,046-acre natural lake at the head of the Susquehanna that runs 167 feet deep and holds lake trout, brown trout, cisco, lake whitefish, and smallmouth bass. Cooperstown sits on its southern shore, making this the rare literary landmark that also fishes well at ice-out.

Schroon Lake is a nine-mile ribbon of Adirondack water straddling Warren and Essex counties, 4,107 acres of smelt-rich habitat for landlocked salmon, lake trout, and smallmouth bass. Its ice-out salmon fishery around the Schroon River inlet is one of the best fly-rod windows in DEC Region 5.

Skaneateles Lake is the clearest of New York's Finger Lakes, an 8,960-acre glacial trench of drinking-water-quality water with visibility past 26 feet. Wild lake trout, stocked rainbows, and landlocked salmon cruise its shale shelves, making it the premier sight-fishing stillwater in central New York.

Stillwater Reservoir is New York's signature splake water, 6,195 acres of shallow, stump-studded flowage in the western Adirondacks at the end of a 28-mile road. Averaging barely six feet deep, it keeps its fish within reach of a fly line all season, and DEC reports splake topping 20 inches.

Amherst Lake is the uppermost of the Black River chain of lakes along Route 100 in Plymouth, a deep, narrow lake stocked with trophy rainbow trout and holding brown trout in cold, clear water.

Caspian Lake in Greensboro is one of Vermont's most pristine lakes, a 789-acre spring-fed basin with self-sustaining populations of lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, and rainbow smelt. Clear water, a classic village setting, and wild fish make Caspian a Northeast Kingdom gem.

Chittenden Reservoir spreads 750 acres beneath the Green Mountain ridgelines east of Rutland, a scenic mountain impoundment holding brook trout, brown trout, and strong smallmouth bass. Mountain views, a quiet launch, and dawn mist make it central Vermont's prettiest stillwater commute.

Colton Pond is a 27-acre roadside pond just north of Kent Pond in Killington, stocked with trophy two-year-old brook trout and fishable from shore, canoe, or float tube.

Crystal Lake at Barton lives up to its name: 763 acres of deep, transparent coldwater framed by granite ledges, holding wild lake trout, rainbows, and landlocked salmon. Crystal Lake State Park and easy village access make it the most approachable of the Kingdom's deep lakes.

Echo Lake in Charleston is a deep, cold, oligotrophic lake in the Clyde River system, holding wild lake trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon, and rainbow trout in water that drops to 121 feet.

Echo Lake in Plymouth is the middle lake of the Black River chain, bordered by Camp Plymouth State Park on the site of an 1800s gold rush settlement and stocked with trophy rainbow trout.

Great Averill Lake lies in Vermont's far northeastern corner, an 828-acre wilderness lake a few miles from the Canadian border. Lake trout, rainbows, and landlocked salmon cruise its cold, clear water beneath an undeveloped shoreline patrolled by loons and peregrines — the Kingdom at its wildest.

Green River Reservoir in Hyde Park is Vermont's flagship quiet-water experience: a 653-acre paddle-in state park where electric motors are the legal maximum and loons outnumber anglers. Smallmouth bass along its rocky, island-studded shorelines make it the state's finest wilderness bass paddle.

Harriman Reservoir (Lake Whitingham) is the largest lake entirely within Vermont, a 2,040-acre impoundment of the Deerfield River in the southern Green Mountains. Trophy-stocked brook trout, brown trout, and outstanding smallmouth bass make it southern Vermont's premier stillwater.

Harvey's Lake in Barnet is a deep, spring-fed lake famous as the boyhood diving water of Jacques Cousteau, stocked with trophy rainbow trout and holding lake trout over a 140-foot basin.

Holland Pond is a 334-acre trophy trout water tucked against the Canadian border in Holland, stocked with two-year-old rainbow trout and holding wild brook trout around its boulder-strewn shorelines.

Island Pond is a 600-acre lake with a namesake 22-acre island in the historic railroad town of Brighton, offering rainbow trout, brook trout, and strong smallmouth bass fishing.

Joe's Pond in Danville is a three-basin, 396-acre pond famous for its Ice-Out Contest, stocked with trophy rainbow trout and holding brook and brown trout over water up to 90 feet deep.

Kent Pond in Killington is a 99-acre trophy trout reservoir at the headwaters of the Ottauquechee River, bordered by Gifford Woods State Park with the Appalachian Trail passing along its shore.

Kettle Pond is a carry-in-only trophy trout pond in Groton State Forest, its undeveloped 103-acre basin ringed by remote lean-to campsites and stocked with two-year-old rainbow trout.

Lake Dunmore is a 985-acre two-story fishery beneath the Moosalamoo highlands in Addison County, pairing lake trout and landlocked salmon in its depths with rainbow trout and smallmouth bass along its shores. Branbury State Park makes it one of Vermont's most accessible quality lakes.

Lake Groton is the 422-acre recreational hub of Groton State Forest, flanked by Stillwater and Boulder Beach state parks and offering brook trout, rainbow trout, and reliable smallmouth bass fishing.

Lake Memphremagog is a 31-mile international lake whose southern end anchors Newport, Vermont. Landlocked salmon, brown trout, rainbows, and smallmouth bass thrive on its smelt-rich waters, and the mouths of the Clyde, Barton, and Black rivers give fly anglers world-class seasonal opportunities.

Lake Rescue in Ludlow is the lowest and largest lake of the Black River chain, one of Vermont's ten deepest lakes at about 93 feet, stocked with trophy rainbow trout alongside wild brown trout.

Lake Willoughby is Vermont's deepest lake and its most dramatic, a glacial fjord pinched between the sheer cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor. Its cold, smelt-rich depths have produced state-record lake trout and support salmon, rainbows, and browns, making Willoughby the flagship stillwater of the Northeast Kingdom.

Little Averill Lake is a deep, cold, undeveloped lake in Vermont's far Northeast Kingdom, holding wild lake trout and rainbow trout in remarkably clear water just below the Canadian border.

Long Pond in Westmore is a small but startlingly deep trophy brook trout pond near Lake Willoughby, dropping to 74 feet beneath Bald Mountain with a backcountry feel and a simple gravel access.

Maidstone Lake is the remote jewel of Essex County, a 745-acre glacial lake ringed by forest and centered on Maidstone State Park. Loons call across water that holds lake trout, wild landlocked salmon, and brook trout, making it one of Vermont's wildest coldwater lake fisheries.

May Pond is a quiet 82-acre brook trout pond near Barton managed under the trophy trout program, with gas motors prohibited and a wild, wetland-ringed shoreline alive with loons and otters.

Miller Pond is a quiet 64-acre pond near Strafford with an undeveloped, forested shoreline, stocked with trophy two-year-old rainbow and brook trout under Vermont's trophy trout program.

Newark Pond is a high, clear 156-acre pond in Newark stocked with trophy two-year-old rainbow trout, with wild brook trout and a classic Northeast Kingdom pond setting at over 1,800 feet.

Norton Pond is a large, shallow Northeast Kingdom pond on the Canadian border offering brook trout around cold tributary mouths and excellent smallmouth bass fishing over rocky structure.

Noyes Pond at Seyon Lodge State Park is Vermont's only public fly-fishing-only water: 39 acres of wild brook trout pond fished exclusively from rented rowboats. It is a living museum of traditional New England pond fishing — no motors, no wading, no spin gear, just brook trout and oars.

Osmore Pond is a 51-acre hike-in brook trout pond in Groton State Forest near the New Discovery campground, stocked with trophy two-year-old brookies and ringed by a shoreline hiking loop.

Ricker Pond is an 85-acre brook trout pond at the south end of Groton State Forest, paired with the forest's oldest state campground and offering clear water over a hard sand-and-boulder bottom.

Seymour Lake in Morgan is one of the Northeast Kingdom's premier coldwater lakes, 1,732 acres of clear, deep water famous for its ice-out landlocked salmon and lake trout fishing. Smelt streamers stripped along its shorelines in late April are a Vermont rite of spring.

Silver Lake is an 84-acre village lake in Barnard fronted by Silver Lake State Park, offering stocked rainbow and brook trout in spring and fall alongside a lively warmwater fishery.

Woodward Reservoir is a scenic, largely undeveloped 106-acre reservoir on Route 100 in Plymouth, stocked with rainbow and brook trout over a basin that drops to about 50 feet.