China Lake
Fishing and stocking
Stocked April to October in 2026: brook trout and brown trout, 3 plants in all. A 3,942-acre reservoir, and one of 14 stocked waters on the Kennebec County record.
Kennebec County · Maine · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brook trout
Brown trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked yesterday.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27 | Brook trout | yearling | 250 | completed |
| Apr 27 | Brook trout | yearling | 200 | completed |
| Oct 13 | Brown trout | adult | 1,250 | completed |
When to fish China Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:14-11:14 am and 9:37-11:37 pm | 3:30-4:30 am and 3:46-4:46 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:00 am-12:00 pm and 10:24 pm-12:24 am | 4:42-5:42 am and 4:07-5:07 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 10 days ago (Oct 13)
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Maine fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (brook trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Slip bobber and jig | 1/32 oz marabou jig or waxworm suspended at cruising depth |
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Messalonskee Stream | 8.6 mi | Jun 2 |
| Sebasticook River (East Branch) | 8.9 mi | Apr 15 |
| Sebasticook River | 8.9 mi | Apr 30 |
| Saint George Lake | 11 mi | Oct 20 |
| Messalonskee Lake | 12 mi | Oct 20 |
Follow Kennebec County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule