Butternut, Balsam, and Wapogasset

[ShoreGuy1984]

Out of Big Butternut Lake, Balsam Lake, and Lake Wapogasset, which would be the best for shore fishing?

Are these good Bass and Northern lakes?

Also, are these lakes easy to get a boat on?

Thank you for any info!

[Ace]

Balsam has decent boat ramps, the one on the South end of the lake behind the bank has two accesses, one on either side of a single dock. I usually use that one, it has always been good in the past. Wapogasset has several as well, though I think you have to pay at every one of them. Both lakes have quite a few bass in them, never really targeted northerns specifically, though have caught them in both places. Never fished big butternut, so I'm not sure.

Shorefishing:

Balsam you can fish at the above mentioned landing, there is also a swim beach with restrooms, and a bridge and additional dock that will offer up some casting room. I've never fished it from shore, but I bet you can catch an abundance of sunfish there. Straight out from the swim beach into the weeds used to be a decent spot to land a northern or two.

Wapogasset you should be able to shore-fish at Garfield park, they redid the landing and park a couple years ago, but there used to be a small dam of sorts you could fish along, and if you can cast far enough to reach the trees across the opposite shore, I imagine you could land a few bass.

Like I said, it's been probably two seasons, maybe three since I've been on either lake. Good luck, let us know how you do!

[Nick Kuhn]

Wapogasset has a ton of bass, the trouble isn't so much catching them as much as sorting through the small guys. I've caught a few pike out of there, a few small muskies, and seen one larger one follow (as well as caught a bass that had been hit by a large fish recently).

Balsam I haven't fished a whole lot, but there are definitely bass to be found. With the pike regulation I'm sure there are some to be found as well.

Can't help you on shore fishing but getting a boat in on Balsam and Wapogasset should be no problem. Big Butternut doesn't have nearly the structure as the other lakes, but I hear it has a pretty good bass population as well.

[vman59]

fished Big Butternut this late this afternoon after leaving Loveless one small perch was it.