Fish River chain of lakes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long Lake |
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 Long Lake
Location in Maine
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| Location | Aroostook County, Maine |
| Coordinates | 47°12′N 68°15′W / 47.200°N 68.250°W |
| Primary inflows | Little River |
| Max. length | 10.3 mi (16.6 km) |
| Surface area | 6,849 acres (2,772 ha) |
| Max. depth | 163 feet (50 m) |
| Water volume | 329,456 acre⋅ft (406,378,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 581 ft (177 m) |
| Mud Lake | |
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Mud Lake
Location in Maine
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| Location | Aroostook County |
| Coordinates | 47°09′N 68°17′W / 47.150°N 68.283°W |
| Max. length | 2.4 mi (3.9 km) |
| Surface area | 1,002 acres (405 ha) |
| Max. depth | 20 feet (6.1 m) |
| Water volume | 10,138 acre⋅ft (12,505,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 581 ft (177 m) |
| Cross Lake | |
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Cross Lake
Location in Maine
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| Location | Aroostook County |
| Coordinates | 47°07′N 68°20′W / 47.117°N 68.333°W |
| Max. length | 5.6 mi (9.0 km) |
| Surface area | 2,470 acres (1,000 ha) |
| Max. depth | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Water volume | 52,267 acre⋅ft (64,470,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 578 ft (176 m) |
| Square Lake | |
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Square Lake
Location in Maine
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| Location | Aroostook County |
| Coordinates | 47°03′N 68°22′W / 47.050°N 68.367°W |
| Max. length | 7.7 mi (12.4 km) |
| Max. width | 2.2 mi (3.5 km) |
| Surface area | 8,090 acres (3,270 ha) |
| Max. depth | 122 ft (37 m) |
| Water volume | 277,829 acre⋅ft (342,697,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 577 ft (176 m) |
| Eagle Lake | |
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Eagle Lake
Location in Maine
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| Location | Aroostook County |
| Coordinates | 47°03′N 68°30′W / 47.050°N 68.500°W |
| Primary outflows | Fish River |
| Max. length | 15 mi (24 km) |
| Surface area | 5,601 acres (2,267 ha) |
| Max. depth | 136 ft (41 m) |
| Water volume | 249,702 acre⋅ft (308,003,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 574 ft (175 m) |
The Fish River chain of lakes is a cool series of five lakes in the North Maine Woods region of northern Maine. These lakes are connected and flow into the Fish River. They are a very important area for outdoor fun in northern Maine. The lakes are also home to lots of wildlife, including fish like rainbow smelt, brook trout, lake trout, and land-locked Atlantic salmon.
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Exploring the Fish River Lakes
This chain of lakes offers great places for fishing, boating, and enjoying nature. Each lake has its own special features.
Long Lake: The Deepest Lake
Long Lake stretches south from Saint Agatha. Several smaller streams, like Brishlotte Brook and Little River, flow into its northern end. Other brooks like Paulette Brook and Mud Brook also feed into the lake.
Long Lake flows out from its southwest end into Mud Lake, which is about 500 meters (550 yards) away. You can find two boat launch areas and a picnic spot here. Many homes and camps are located along the west shore, where Maine State Route 162 runs. Long Lake is the deepest lake in the chain. It's a great place for brook trout, rainbow smelt, and land-locked salmon.
Mud Lake: The Smallest Lake
Mud Lake receives water from Long Lake. It then flows out through Cross Lake Thoroughfare into Cross Lake, about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) away. Many homes and camps are along the north shore of Mud Lake, also near Maine State Route 162.
Mud Lake is the smallest and shallowest lake in the chain. It's home to fish like longnose sucker, hornpout, and yellow perch.
Cross Lake: A Mix of Nature and Homes
Cross Lake gets its water from Mud Lake. The southern part of Cross Lake flows into Square Lake, about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away. Homes and camps are found along the north and east shores of Cross Lake, where Maine State Route 161 follows the northeast side.
There's a public boat launch and picnic area on the southeast shore. The rest of the lake's edge is mostly marshy and undeveloped. Streams like Dickey Brook and Black Brook flow into Cross Lake. These streams are important places for young brook trout, rainbow smelt, and land-locked salmon to grow.
Square Lake: The Biggest Lake
Square Lake receives water from Cross Lake. Its northern end flows about 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) into the eastern part of Eagle Lake. Square Lake is the largest lake in this chain.
Streams like Dimock Brook and Goddard Brook flow into Square Lake. These brooks provide excellent places for young brook trout, rainbow smelt, and land-locked salmon to live and grow.
Eagle Lake: A Hub for Recreation
Eagle Lake flows into the Fish River. This happens about 13 kilometers (8 miles) upstream from where the Fish River meets the Saint John River. Eagle Lake is shaped like an "L" and extends through the town of Eagle Lake.
The Fish River itself flows into Eagle Lake at the bend of the "L". The entire chain of lakes connects to Eagle Lake from Square Lake. Smaller streams like Clark Brook and Miller Brook also feed into Eagle Lake. The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad runs along the west shore of Eagle Lake. This lake is a good home for rainbow smelt, brook trout, lake trout, and land-locked salmon.
The eastern part of Eagle Lake is part of a large public land area, covering about 23,000 acres. This area is open for many fun activities. You can go ATV riding, birdwatching, camping, cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and swimming here!
