Canoes and kayaks on the water near Sleeping Bear Campground

Hunting & Fishing

Three game zones meet at our doorstep, and the Lincoln Lakes hold everything from stocked brookies to trophy smallmouth.

Three Zones, One Basecamp

Sleeping Bear sits on a spot most Maine hunting camps can only claim loosely: three of the state's 29 Wildlife Management Districts meet right here in Lee, with the district lines running along Route 6 and Route 168 just up the road. Hunt a different zone every day of your stay without moving your basecamp — then spend the off hours on some of the best water in eastern Maine.

WMD 11

Southern Aroostook & Northern Penobscot Farm-Woodlands

North of Route 6 and east of Route 168 — northern Lee, Springfield, and the farm country toward Houlton.

Official boundary description (PDF)

WMD 18

Mid-Penobscot River Valley

West of Route 168 and Skunk Hill Road — Lincoln, Enfield, and the Lincoln Lakes country along the Penobscot.

Official boundary description (PDF)

WMD 19

Eastern Maine Woodlands — North of the Airline

South of Route 6 — the big commercial timberlands running east toward Nicatous Lake and the New Brunswick border.

Official boundary description (PDF)

Big Game Seasons

Black Bear

Late August – late November

General season: August 31 – November 28, 2026
Hunting over bait: first four weeks (Aug 31 – Sep 26); bait may be placed starting August 1
Hunting with dogs: September 14 – October 30
Limit: 2 bears per year — one by hunting, one by trapping

Whitetail Deer

October – mid-December

Archery: October 3 – 30, 2026
Firearms: November 2 – 28, 2026 (Maine-resident-only day Oct 31)
Muzzleloader: Nov 30 – Dec 5 statewide, plus a second week (Dec 7 – 12) on the WMD 18 side
Youth deer day: October 23 – 24, 2026

Moose

Late September & mid-October, by lottery permit

All three local districts — WMDs 11, 18, and 19 — hold bull-only hunts in both seasons
September season: Sep 28 – Oct 3, 2026 · October season: Oct 12 – 17, 2026
Permits are drawn in Maine's moose lottery — apply April through mid-May
Limit: 1 moose per year, permittee or sub-permittee

The bird hunting is no afterthought: ruffed grouse season runs September 26 through December 31, woodcock through mid-November, and all three local districts have a fall wild turkey season. Snowshoe hare runs clear into March.

The Waters

The town of Lincoln alone holds 13 lakes and more than 4,300 acres of water — and winter just moves the season onto the ice. Upper Pond and Little Round Pond in Lincoln also get fall brook trout stockings.

Cold Stream Pond

3,628 acres · 112 ft deep

Enfield · 20 minutes

One of eastern Maine's premier coldwater fisheries — deep, clear, and cold. Stocked landlocked salmon, wild lake trout (togue), and brook trout. Improved launch on Old Hatchery Road off Route 188.

Silver (Mattakeunk) Lake

531 acres · 56 ft deep

Lee · under a mile from camp

Our home water. The state stocks it every fall with catchable brook trout — 700 thirteen-inch fish in October 2024 — on top of white perch and chain pickerel. Launch at Cole's Landing, a 6-acre day park with a public beach.

Mattanawcook Pond

832 acres · 20 ft deep

Lincoln · 15 minutes

Classic warm-water smallmouth bass fishing right in downtown Lincoln, with an improved trailered launch off Route 6.

Caribou, Long & Egg Ponds

825 acres combined

Lincoln · 15 minutes

A connected three-pond chain loaded with smallmouth bass. Trailered access on Sweet Road.

Penobscot River

Maine's longest river

19 miles of frontage in Lincoln

The Penobscot is regarded as one of the best smallmouth bass rivers in the country, and the Lincoln stretch is prime water. Multiple improved launches.

Maps, Laws & Lotteries

Season dates above are the published 2026–27 Maine seasons. Dates, zones, and permit rules are set annually by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife — always confirm the current law book before you hunt or fish.

Bring the whole crew

The Guide sleeps 8–9 and our cabins are open year-round — call to line up your hunting or fishing trip.

Call 207-608-1966 Email Us