China Lake Ice Fishing Derby

08/03/2026

It will be a few months until we see ice, but in the meantime, lets enjoy the water and summer weather!

07/15/2026

Come get the night started with Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce this coming tuesday bring the kids we will be having a casting contest and we will be showing you how to tie lures. We will also have a few giveaways and fish off swag bags

07/12/2026

Register now for the Mid-Maine Fish-Off! 8 days of fishing fun for the whole family, July 18th-25th. Fish on any body of water in the Mid-Maine Chamber region - lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, or brooks. Prizes daily. FMI: www.midmainefishoff.com

03/01/2026

Two weeks ago today, we were soaking up the sunshine, watching our community come together to celebrate the Annual Ice Fishing Derby. The day was nothing short of incredible. The energy on the ice was electric, the excitement of the anglers was contagious, and the support from families, friends, and volunteers made it all the more special.

Events like this don’t just happen — they’re built by people who care.

We are beyond grateful to the sponsors and donors who went above and beyond to make this Annual China Lake Ice Fishing Derby what we’ve all come to love. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and commitment to supporting local traditions are what keep this event thriving year after year.

We encourage everyone to support the businesses and organizations that support this event. They invest in the place we call home and continually give back to our region. When you shop local and choose to do business with those who give back, you help strengthen the heart of our hometown.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for helping make this year’s derby such a success. We couldn’t do it without you… and we’re already looking forward to next year.

02/18/2026

Now that Derby weekend has concluded and we have had time to rest, we want to extend a huge thank you to the incredible volunteers who made this event possible.

We would like to recognize:

- China Village Volunteer Fire Department: For providing the fire station and assisting with parking, food, and various tasks throughout the day.
- Topsham Trailriders (Mike, Jenny, Ron, and John): For their weekend-long support with ticket sales, photography, live door prize drawings, and more.
- Gail: For her weeks of work collecting prizes, coordinating ticket sales with local businesses, and her energy during our live drawings.
- Sandy: The woman behind all of our facebook posts and live streams, and managing all of our technical needs.
- Cindy: For capturing amazing photos throughout the weekend and assisting wherever needed.
- Nick: For transporting Cindy on the ice for photos, helping with ticket sales, distributing kids' buckets, and assisting with fish turn-ins.
- Nancy and Bob: For keeping the clubhouse running, selling tickets on the ice, and their overall support.
- Ed and Bill: For setting up the fire station, managing traffic, selling tickets, and assisting with fireworks.
- Tony, Kevin, Colby, Craig, and Marcia: For selling tickets around the lake and providing some friendly faces around the ice.
- Erskine Track Team Volunteers: For their help with fireworks setup and cleanup, clubhouse support, and filling kids' buckets, and whatever else we threw at them.
- Darrell: For his hard work with fish weigh-ins, fireworks setup, and moving equipment and so much more.
- Sasha: For managing weigh-ins, ticket sales, kids' buckets, and providing fish updates all day, as well as running around doing anything she was asked.
- Tom: For his dedication to the Derby, providing updates, presenting awards, and ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Most importantly, thank you to all of YOU. We are fortunate to have such a supportive community. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2027!

02/18/2026

Congrats to Derek Ouellette for winning the Ice fishing package from Central Lodge #45., While this was not part of the prizes from China Lake Ice Fishing Derby we know many of you purchased raffle tickets from them and we wanted to report the winner.
We would also like to thank Central Lodge for hosting the China Ice Days kick off dinner on Friday night.

Send a message to learn more

02/16/2026

Alan Young Memorial Fishing Award
Congratulations to Jackson Mclane for catching the 1.16 lb. White Perch!

Winner of the 50/50 – G. Hamilton who won $1737!!

Lifetime Fishing License Awards
Winner of the Under 6 years old, Sponsored by Foote Construction - Alexus Rumpf
Winner of the 6-15 years old, Sponsored by Miller’s Heating - Harper Neal

02/16/2026

China Lake Ice Fishing Derby - Fishing Awards Prize List

Lunker of the Day – Cody Hotham – 6.60lb Large Mouth Bass
– the largest fish in any category – $300
Sponsored by Diesel Dan, plus a Jack Trap (courtesy of NCL Landscaping)

Brook Trout
1st Place - Trevor Woods – 1.28 Sponsored by Vassalboro Car Care $200
2nd Place - Brandon Shores – 1.22 Sponsored by AMP Electric $100
3rd Place - Josh Bechard – 1.16 Sponsored by KC’s Auto $50

Brown Trout
1st Place - Jacob Martin – 5.70 Sponsored by Central Maine Motors $200
2nd Place - Kayla Vivenzio – 3.14. Sponsored by New England Imports $100
3rd Place - Scott Bayles, Jr – 3.12 Sponsored by Greg’s Place $50

Large Mouth
1st Place - saac Knapp – 6.08 Sponsored by J&J Improvements $150
2nd Place - Jen Chamberlain – 5.40 Sponsored by Morty’s Automotive Inc. $75
3rd Place - Duana Tobias – 5.26 Sponsored by KC’s Auto $50

Small Mouth
1st Place - Marissa Hamel – 2.52 Sponsored by Summit Electrical, LLC $150
2nd Place - George Hamilton – 2.32 Sponsored by Ferald Family Chiropractor $75
3rd. Place - Jackson Mclane -2.30 Sponsored by Raider’s Sugarhouse $50

Pickerel
1st. Place - Travis Steward – 4.58 Sponsored by China Lake Provisions $150
2nd Place - Axle Blackwell – 4.44 Sponsored by Adam’s Realty $75
3rd Place - Jason Moody – 4.06 Sponsored by Greg’s Place $50

Children 15 & under – most by count. - Yellow or White Perch Children’s Category – sponsored by North Country Harley Davidson

1st place – $50 and a trophy, plus a Jack Trap (courtesy of NCL Landscaping)- Blake Owen – 63 total
2nd place – $40 and a trophy -Everett Packard – 41 total
3rd place – $30 and a trophy -Payson Gower – 38 total
4th place – $20 and a trophy – Lyle Peavey – 30 total
5th place – $10 and a trophy – Matthew Morin – 22 total