Moosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake. Photo: Penobscot Marine Museum.
Every September, the usual quiet of Moosehead Lake gives way to the roar of dozens of seaplanes as thousands of spectators arrive for the annual International Seaplane Fly-In. Today, these planes are more of a spectacle, but for years they were workhorses getting outdoor sporting enthusiasts to Moosehead Lake and the remote areas around it.
For centuries, Moosehead Lake has drawn people to Maine’s North Woods for recreation, for work, and as a sacred place in the Wabanaki homeland. At nearly 40 miles long, it is the largest lake in Maine. Its deep, cold waters support a healthy population of salmon, togue, and brook trout. Moose feed on the lake’s aquatic plants in shallow areas and take refuge from insects and the heat in its cool waters. And the 700-foot cliffs of Mount Kineo rise dramatically out of the water.
Even in the days before modern transportation, the lake’s remoteness did not deter people from seeking out its natural beauty and peacefulness. With the help of railroads in the 1800s, the lake transformed from a wilderness frontier to a luxury destination complete with resort accommodations.
After rail service to the area sputtered out and the resort hotels closed, bush pilots flying floatplanes became a regular sight over the lake as they delivered fishermen, hunters, family campers, and paper company executives to Greenville and remote camps.
Although floatplanes are no longer a primary way visitors reach Moosehead Lake, much like the steamboat Katahdin, they remain part of the lake’s identity. From the air, the expanse of the lake, its forested shoreline, coves, and islands come into view like no other way, not even from the height of Mount Kineo’s cliffs. It is soaring above the lake’s deep water that, with a little imagination, the lake’s name may be revealed.
