Best Maine lakes for Pontoon Boating

If you enjoy pontoon boating and the lake lifestyle, you’ll find a lot to love about Maine. Maine has more than 6,000 ponds and lakes, including many beautiful ones that are navigable by pontoon boats.Here are some of the locals’ favorites.

Sebago Lake

Only a 15-minute drive from Portland, Sebago is Maine’s second-largest lake and also its deepest. A fisherman’s favorite, Sebago Lake boasts salmon, northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and brook, brown, and lake trout. If you’re curious about what’s happening on Sebago Lake right now, you can view the live webcam.

While pontoon boating on Sebago Lake, be sure to visit Frye Island, a resort town whose residents are 100 percent seasonal. The Sebago Lake area is also known for its many walking and biking trails, swimming beaches (including a notable beach in the town of Standish), and five public boat ramps.

Flagstaff Lake

This 20-mile-long lake bridges Franklin and Somerset counties in the state’s northwestern quadrant. Most of the lake is artificial, having been created by the damming of the Dead River. As a consequence, the former town of Flagstaff is mostly under water. A few remnants remaining on an island makes for an interesting stop during a day of boating.

Flagstaff Lake boasts six boat launches, and some of its 12 campgrounds are water-accessible. Much of the scenic lake is bordered by the majestic red pine trees of the 36,000-acre Bigelow Preserve.

Rangeley Lake

Also adjacent to the Bigelow Preserve is Rangeley Lake, in Franklin County. With public boat access at Rangeley Lake State Park and in the small villages of Oquossuc and Rangeley, this area offers 50 campsites, a swimming beach, and climbing access to Bald Mountain.

Cobbosseecontee Lake

Known as Cobbossee Lake for short, this 100-foot-deep lake is the largest in the Winthrop Lakes Region, with 62 miles of shoreline. Explore its more than 24 islands as well as numerous coves and inlets in your pontoon boat. Visit Ladies Delight Light, the 25-foot lighthouse built in 1908. It falls under the care of the Cobbosseecontee Yacht Club, one of the oldest yacht clubs in the United States.

With a public boat launch in Monmouth and a natural reef forming a habitat for largemouth bass, Cobbossee Lake is a haven for fishing.

Moosehead Lake

Located in the Longfellow Mountains, Moosehead is Maine’s largest lake with more than 80 islands to explore. In fact, it’s the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. The 19th century writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau called Moosehead Lake “...a gleaming silver platter at the end of the table.” The lake is about an hour and half from Bangor and three hours from Portland.

You can access Sugar Island, Maine’s largest lake island, by boat, launching from Lily Bay State Park. Other boat launches are at Greenville Junction Wharf, Rockwood Town Landing, and Seboomook.

Whatever you like to do in your pontoon boat, whether it’s camping, fishing, island hopping, tubing or skiing, swimming, or making new friends, you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied on the lakes and ponds of Maine. Maine has miles of hills, mountains, and forests filled with untouched natural beauty. By visiting its largest lakes, you can experience it all.

Check out the latest Bennington pontoon boats, then find a Bennington dealer in Maine or wherever you live.