Moosehead Lake

Moosehead Lake is a natural, deep, coldwater lake in Piscataquis County in northwestern Maine, the largest lake in the state and the largest freshwater body in New England. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife lists its area as 74,890 acres and its maximum depth as 246 feet; its mean depth is about 55 feet. It is roughly 40 miles long and 10 miles wide, with more than 80 islands, and Mount Kineo's 700-foot cliffs rise from its shore. The Moose River is its major inlet and the Roach River its second-largest tributary. The lake is the headwaters of the Kennebec River, which leaves through the East and West Outlets, where Brookfield Renewable posts flow releases and lake levels. Greenville, at the south end, is the largest town; Rockwood lies on the western shore.

The Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands manages the public shoreline lands and boat launches. Hard-surface ramps are at Lily Bay State Park (two ramps), Greenville Junction, Rockwood and Norcross Brook, with gravel launches at Spencer Bay, Jewett Cove and Cowan Cove. More than 200 buoys and markers serve as navigation aids. State law requires headway speed within 200 feet of any shoreline, including islands. The bureau asks boaters to clean watercraft before launching and after retrieval to keep out invasive species such as Eurasian milfoil.

The lake supports landlocked salmon (stocked), wild lake trout (togue) and native brook trout. Because togue compete with salmon for smelt, state biologists have asked anglers to harvest lake trout under 18 inches.