The boat launch for Echo Lake is by Ikes Point off Busy Route 102.
Echo Lake covers 237 acres and is partially located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island (MDI) in Hancock County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 C2). Access is down an unnamed Park road off Route 102. Look for the “Ikes Point” sign. Drive down this short Park road, passed the parking lot, to the public boat launch at the end. The unimproved sandy launch can accommodate trailered boats. Keep in mind that boat engines over 10 HP are not allowed on this water body. Also, be aware that you will need a pass to legally park your vehicle anywhere inside the Park, including here. The pass can be purchased on-line or at the visitor center on MDI, among other places.
The public launch on Echo Lake can accommodate trailered boats
Echo Lake is a crystal-clear and pristine water body. The “Park” side, comprising the southern half of the lake, is undeveloped and framed by Beech Mountain to the southwest. The northern half of the lake is privately owned and lightly developed, with about half-a-dozen or so houses visible along the shoreline. The entire area is deeply wooded. The only fly in the ointment is that Route 102, and the cars zipping by on it, are visible from the water. While visually unpleasing, I fished the southern half of the lake and was not bothered by road noise. The lake is lightly stocked with 50 juvenile landlocked Atlantic salmon and around 1100 brook trout every year. Those fish that escape the ice-fishing season are available for catching in the spring. The remaining survivors can then continue growing because the water column stratifies in the summer, allowing the trout and salmon to seek refuge in the deeper and colder parts of the lake. The general fishing laws for the South Zone apply to open-water fishing when it comes to lures and bait, but other rules are in place to help maintain a quality salmonid fishery. Those rules are as follows: (a) the daily bag limit for brook trout is two fish, with a minimum length of 12 inches, (b) only one of the bagged trout may exceed 14 inches, (c) all landlocked salmon between 18 and 22 inches must be released alive at once, and (d) the daily bag limit on landlocked salmon is two fish, only one of which may exceed 22 inches. These strict conditions are designed to maintain a quality trout and salmon fishery with the aim of producing above average-sized fish. The mean and maximum depth of the lake are 28 ft. and 66 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and additional fisheries information.
Beech Mountain looms large over the southern end of Echo Lake
I arrive at the Echo Lake boat launch at 7 am. It is a gorgeous morning with full sunshine, air temperature in the high 40’s, and a light southwest breeze. I am serenaded by several loons as I get my boat ready. Boy, these birds can create an amazing soundscape! What a treat. I push off and set myself up to troll for landlocked salmon by deploying my portable downrigger teamed up with a medium action rod and reel to place two Mooselook Wobbler spoons 15 ft. below the surface. I also position two one-hook Grey Ghost and Blue Ghost streamer flies (one fly attached to the hook of the other using 2 ft. of monofilament) one and a half color down, or about 8 to 10 ft. below the surface, on my lead core line teamed up with an eight-weight fly fishing rod and reel. The surface water is a relatively warm 51°F. I troll for well over one hour in 30 to 50 ft. of water in the southern half of the lake but do not even get a nibble. Boy, it is frustrating when that occurs…
That’s the only fish I was able to pry loose from Echo Lake in three hours of trolling…
It is clear that I have to change plans. I bring up the downrigger ball and eliminate the two spoons. I instead focus all my attention on trolling the bouldery shoreline for brook trout using my lead core line and small streamer flies. I target the eastern side of Echo Lake, between the boat launch and the Park beach at the southern tip of the lake. That whole area, which is still deep in the shadows, looks and feels like trout heaven. I have to troll up and down the entire shoreline three times before I finally get a hook-up. It is a minuscule brookie which I somehow foul-hooked in the back. How do these things even happen?? I am not thrilled with the results so far and therefore shift my attention to trolling for brookies in the shallow rocky water on the opposite, southern shoreline at the foot of Beech Mountain. For good measure, I switch out my two small flies for three larger two-hook Ghost-type streamer flies, just to mix things up. I am about 25 minutes in when the flies get stuck on the bottom… And then the line snaps when I try releasing the flies. Crap! Well, I have been at it for three hours and have very little to show for all of my efforts. I call myself defeated and head out to my next destination. But do not worry, Echo Lake, we will have a re-match at some point in the future!
The results: I landed one 8″ brook trout in three hours of frustrating fishing.
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