The Kennebec Explorer 2018 Visitor's Guide to Maine's Kennebec Valley | Page 16

The Lakeside Life
If only everyday life could be this easy.
Loons call to each other as the waning
hours of the day cast an indescribable
aura across the water. A vacation spent
near the water in the dozens of lakeside
communities across Maine’s Kennebec
Valley may be the way to make life
more bearable.
Time well spent: fishing,
paddling, swimming
Maybe it’s the laid-back vibe here that
just melts the tension. That “whatever”
sort of attitude that makes you want to
grab your fishing pole and head out to
an old favorite fishing hole. It doesn’t
really matter if you catch anything.
But the fact is, you probably will. Over
in Winthrop, Lake Cobbosseecontee
is a mecca for anglers, with plenty of
Maine’s largest bass lingering just
beneath its surface. Long and Great
Pond are filled with trout and bass too.
It must be something about the water.
Further south in Litchfield are the
Tacoma Lakes. Fayette has Echo Lake,
where trout will just about jump in the
boat if you whisper the right words.
Long and skinny, Messalonskee has
Belgrade at one end and Oakland at the
other. Finally, along the west side of
Minnehonk Lake in Mount Vernon you
might find the perfect lakeside-living
activity. Atop a high bank next to the
road, a rope hangs off a branch, that if
handled right, gives the rider what feels
like an eternity in the air before hitting
that cold snowmelt-fed lake. Splash.
Getting into the swing of things
It’s not just about the water though.
Many find that easy lifestyle transfers
perfectly to the golf course as well,
which makes good sense since
Golf Digest continues to place the
Belgrade Lakes Golf Course atop the
list of Maine’s best public courses:
The view from the top is spectacular.
For you golfers, here’s a short list of
courses around the lakes of the
southern Kennebec Valley: Belgrade
Lakes Golf Club, Augusta Country
Club, Natanis in Vassalboro, and
The Meadows in Litchfield.
Whether it be catching fish, taking a
swim, playing a round of golf, or grab-
bing a cone of strawberry ice cream at
the store after a long hot day, these lakes
and the towns that call them home are
more than just a place to play. The ease
of summer living, perfected.
But it’s not just this lake or that lake, it’s
all of them: Androscoggin, Maranacook,
and Annabessacook. Each one is a gor-
geous stretch of clean, clear, wonderful
water that reflects the light of dawn
and the glow of sunset with perfection.
Each a haven for boating, water skiing,
paddling, fishing, and that perennial
favorite with the kids, swimming.
The list of lakes goes on and on.
China Lake to the east of Augusta is a
fishing and boaters paradise sitting on
the Bassmaster list for top bass fish-
ing. Webber Pond near Vassalboro and
Belgrade’s Great Pond are on the list, as
was Cobbosseecontee a couple years back.
14 Make a Plan: KennebecValley.org
Bear Spring Camps ©Tom McPherson
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