World Class Bass Fishing on Cobbosseeconte, one of Maine’s Top Lakes

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April 9, 2010
Out and About for the Greater Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine, April 15 to 21
April 14, 2010

World Class Bass Fishing on Cobbosseeconte, one of Maine’s Top Lakes


Bald Eagle perched over Cobbesseeconte Lake
Just 15 minutes west of Augusta, 45 minutes from Freeport and about an hour from Portland you’ll find the 5,543-acre Cobbosseeconte Lake. This location makes it a favorite for seasonal and year-round lakefront property owners. The lake lies within the borders of five towns: Manchester, Winthrop, Monmouth, Litchfield and West Gardiner.

Lakefront Properties For Sale on Cobbosseeconte Lake

View Vacation Rentals on Cobbosseeconte Lake


Cobbosseeconte Lake, aka Cobbossee Lake, is an ideal location for anglers in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. Even the name, which dates back to the 1600s, indicates this, as it means “the place of many sturgeon.” Brown trout, chain pickerel, white perch and yellow perch may be hooked, but it’s the smallmouth and largemouth bass that attract folks to Lake Cobbosseeconte, considered one of the best bass fishing lakes in the Northeast. According to Bassmaster Magazine, “More times than not, the year’s top largemouth has come out of the Cobbosseeconte drainage.” Bass tournaments are frequently held here. You’ll find hard surface boat ramps in Winthrop and Monmouth.
Cobbossee is a spring-fed lake with inlets from Jug and Jock Streams. Its outlet forms Cobbossee Stream. The lake has a maximum depth of 100 feet and an average depth of 37 feet. This island-studded gem offers over 62 miles of shoreline to explore.
The Cobbosseeconte Yacht Club (CYC) dates back to 1904 and is thought to be one of the oldest, continually active, inland waters yacht clubs in the U.S. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the lake. The CYC sponsors various social events such as “Boat-in/Drive-ins” and “Snowmobile-in/Drive-ins” throughout the year, plus an annual concert at Horseshoe Cove and sailing regattas. The club also maintains the Historic Ladies Delight Lighthouse, Maine’s only freshwater lighthouse.
Part of the CYC’s mission is to function as a lake association “to protect the appreciation and wise use of the lake, protect its natural beauty, promote boating and water safety, and promote the overall improvement of water quality.” Another local organization, Friends of Lake Cobbossee Watershed, is also concerned about the water quality of this lake plus the 27 other “lakes and streams of the Cobbossee Watershed.” Years ago algal blooms were a regular occurrence on Cobbossee, thus lowering the water quality.
Due to years and years of work to improve the water quality of Cobbossee Lake, in June 2006, the Kennebec Journal reported that Governor Baldacci “announced that Cobbossee Lake, once one of the unhealthiest lakes in the state, is about to be removed from the federal list of so-called ‘impaired’ water bodies. After almost 40 years of work to clean up Cobbossee, it is the first large lake in the state to be removed from that list.” The improvement is due to restoration work along the shoreline and camp roads, plus installation of best management practices, making it a Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Story.
Bill Monagle, Executive Director of the Cobbossee Watershed District (CWD) wrote in the Winter 2007 issue of Lakeline that “Though the potential for nuisance summertime algal blooms is moderate to high on Cobbossee Lake, water quality has greatly improved during the past eight years. Thanks to the efforts of the CWD, the lake is in the process of recovering to a level that is acceptable to most who live and recreate on it.”
Visit the Cobbossee Lake area and you’ll discover a multitude of recreational activities such as swimming, picnicking, boating, waterskiing, bird watching, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. If you are a geocache addict, you’ll feel as if you’ve struck gold. Also located in the area or a short drive away: Camp Cobbossee for Boys, The Maine State Museum, The Children’s Discovery Museum, The Monmouth Museum, Old Fort Western Museum, Lakeside Orchards, Cobbossee Colony Golf Course, The Theater at Monmouth and  the Kennebec Land Trust.
Whether you are an avid angler, water sports enthusiast or just want to enjoy moments of deep relaxation and tranquility, you’ll find everything you’ve dreamed about if you vacation or live on the island-studded Cobbosseeconte Lake. Click on the green button above to learn more about lakefront camps, cottages and cabins for sale on Cobbosseeconte Lake.

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