Biggest lakes in Maine: the top 10 by size

Q: What is the biggest lake in Maine?

Moosehead Lake, at 75,500 acres.

The ten largest lakes in Maine, biggest first.

The list

Sizes are the published surface area where one exists; the others are our own measure of the water's outline and read "about". Reservoirs shrink and grow with their level, so a dry year shows less water.

#	Lake	Size	Shoreline
1	Moosehead Lake	75,500 acres	about 281 mi
2	Sebago Lake	30,500 acres	about 105 mi
3	Chesuncook Lake	25,200 acres	about 128 mi
4	Flagstaff Lake	20,300 acres	about 88 mi
5	Elbow Lake (Pemadumcook Chain)	about 19,400 acres	about 83 mi
6	Long Lake	about 17,500 acres	about 118 mi
7	Spednic Lake	17,200 acres	about 110 mi
8	Mooselookmeguntic Lake	16,300 acres	about 59 mi
9	East Grand Lake	15,900 acres	about 73 mi
10	West Grand Lake	14,500 acres	about 122 mi

1. Moosehead Lake

At 75,500 acres of water, Moosehead Lake is a huge piece of water. Lake trout, trout and smallmouth bass are the draw. At about 246 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. Its bed shows three steep ledges and an upper arm worth a first look.

Moosehead Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Sebago Lake

Sebago Lake spreads over some 30,500 acres. Expect lake trout, smallmouth bass, trout and northern pike. At about 316 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has three steep ledges and an upper arm: good places to start.

Sebago Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Chesuncook Lake

Chesuncook Lake is a reservoir of 25,200 acres. The lake is near Millinocket. Ripogenus Dam holds it on the West Branch Penobscot River. Expect lake trout. It goes down to about 150 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and an upper arm to work. Chesuncook Lake is Maine's third-largest lake, formed by damming the West Branch Penobscot River.

Chesuncook Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Flagstaff Lake

Flagstaff Lake is a reservoir of some 20,300 acres. It lies near Kingfield. Long Falls Dam holds it on the Dead River. Trout are the draw. At about 48 ft at its deepest, it warms quickly in spring. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work. Flagstaff Lake was created in 1950 when Long Falls Dam flooded the town of Flagstaff and other settlements along the Dead River.

Flagstaff Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Elbow Lake (Pemadumcook Chain)

Elbow Lake (Pemadumcook Chain) covers about 19,400 acres. The lake is near Millinocket. Trout, lake trout, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are the draw. Elbow Lake is a wide, lake-like stretch of the West Branch Penobscot River within the Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes.

Elbow Lake (Pemadumcook Chain) today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Long Lake

At about 17,500 acres, Long Lake is a big lake. It lies about 12 miles east of Calais. The usual Maine mix applies: smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove: good places to start.

Long Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Spednic Lake

At 17,200 acres of water, Spednic Lake is a big lake. You will find it about 22 miles northwest of Hodgdon. The fish here are smallmouth bass and yellow perch. It goes down to about 54 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Spednic Lake straddles the US-Canada border and is part of the St. Croix River's Chiputneticook Lakes chain.

Spednic Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Mooselookmeguntic Lake

Mooselookmeguntic Lake is a natural lake of 16,300 acres. The lake is about 19 miles east of Phillips. Like most lakes its size in Maine, it should hold smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. At about 132 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. On the 3-D map the bed has four steep ledges: good places to start. Mooselookmeguntic Lake is the sixth-largest lake in Maine and a headwater lake of the Androscoggin River system.

Mooselookmeguntic Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. East Grand Lake

At 15,900 acres of water, East Grand Lake is a big lake. The lake is about 16 miles north of Hodgdon. Expect lake trout, trout, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. The deepest water is around 128 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and an upper arm to work.

East Grand Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. West Grand Lake

West Grand Lake is a natural lake of 14,500 acres. You will find it near Lincoln. Like most lakes its size in Maine, it should hold largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and trout. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and an upper arm to work. West Grand Lake is the source of Grand Lake Stream, one of Maine's most famous landlocked-salmon fisheries.

West Grand Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Big water, big days

Large lakes make their own weather: a breeze that is nothing on a pond builds real waves over miles of open water. Check the wind on the lake page before you launch and keep to the lee shore when it picks up.