West Grand Lake

Perhaps one of the best-known landlocked salmon waters in Maine, West Grand Lake is one of only four waterways that historically held landlocked salmon. At 14,340 acres the lake is situated in a wilderness setting in Maine’s DownEast & Acadia Region. With maximum water depths of 128 feet and rugged shorelines, the lake offers everything an angler looking for a wilderness fishing trip needs.

While shoreline access is limited, the village of Grand Lake Stream  claims the largest congregation of  Registered Maine Guides and outfitters in the state. The outflow of West Grand Lake is the noted Grand Lake Stream, one of the finest landlocked salmon rivers in the Northeast.

West Grand Lake is also the birthplace of the unique Grand Laker Canoe, a long, square stern, wooden canoe produced by Maine craftsmen since the early 1800s for use on West Grand Lake and surrounding waterways.  Grand Lakers are still being built by local craftsmen and continue to be preferred by today’s guides in the area.

Lake trout, smallmouth bass and lake whitefish are also found in West Grand Lake and provide plenty of action for open water anglers, as well as for ice fishermen in February and March.

Guides, outfitters, lodging, gas and food can be found in the village of Grand Lake Stream and visitors may tour the only fish hatchery in Maine dedicated solely for the production of landlocked salmon.