Mooselookmeguntic Lake Webcam – Oquossoc Shore and Hills

The Mooselookmeguntic Lake Webcam looks out from the shore of The Dunn Compound, a lakefront rental on Haines Landing Drive in Oquossoc, in the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine. A pebble beach and a low spit of boulders fill the foreground, with a small deck of yellow Adirondack chairs at the left edge and a wooded ridge climbing away above the near shore. Beyond them, open water runs off to a line of blue mountains on the far side of the lake. The picture shifts through the day as wind roughens or flattens the surface and cloud shadows slide across the hills, and through the year from green summer woods to yellow and orange in early October. A caption along the bottom of the stream gives the date, time, air temperature and wind speed.

About Mooselookmeguntic Lake

Mooselookmeguntic Lake covers 16,300 acres, about 66 square kilometers (25.5 square miles), which makes it the sixth largest lake in Maine. Its surface lies 447 meters (1,467 feet) above sea level, the deepest point reaches 40 meters (132 feet), and the shoreline runs for 92.5 kilometers (57.5 miles). The name comes from an Abenaki word usually translated as “moose feeding place”. Water arrives from the Cupsuptic River by way of Cupsuptic Lake to the north and from the Rangeley and Kennebago rivers to the northeast, then leaves to the southwest through Upper Dam into Upper Richardson Lake. The first dam there went up in 1850 and raised the lake by about 1.8 meters (6 feet), joining it to Cupsuptic Lake. It was rebuilt in the late 1800s and again between 2012 and 2016.

The camera stands at 22 Haines Landing Drive in Oquossoc, one of the villages that make up the town of Rangeley in Franklin County, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Rangeley village as the crow flies. Haines Landing is a public boat launch at the edge of Oquossoc, and Bald Mountain rises about 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) to the southeast of it. Two islands, Toothaker and Students, sit far down the lake in its southern half, and the Appalachian Trail passes close by.

Rangeley turned into a seasonal resort in the early 1900s once the railroad reached the area, and sporting camps, cabins, inns and summer homes filled up with visitors who came for the cool mountain air and the fishing. President Herbert Hoover was one of them. The town had 1,222 residents at the 2020 census.

Weather and Climate at Mooselookmeguntic Lake

Winters are long and cold. At the Rangeley weather station, January averages a high of -5 C (23 F) and a low of -17.6 C (0 F), and the town gets about 313 centimeters (123 inches) of snow a year, so the beach, the deck and the hillsides in this view can sit under snow for months. Spring comes late at this elevation: April afternoons average only about 8 C (46 F), and May reaches around 16 C (61 F).

Summer is mild. July highs average 24.7 C (76 F), with nights near 11.5 C (53 F), the same cool weather that drew the early sporting camps. Fall brings the color on the ridge to the left of the frame, and October afternoons average about 12 C (55 F). On a lake this size the wind sets much of the mood: a breezy day turns the open water gray and choppy, and a calm one can leave it smooth enough to mirror the hills.

Things to Do Near Mooselookmeguntic Lake

The nearest hike starts at Haines Landing itself. A trail from the boat launch parking climbs past traces of an old ski hill to meet the main Bald Mountain trail, part of a 3.7 kilometer (2.3 mile) network on the 758 hectare (1,873 acre) Bald Mountain Public Reserved Land, which the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands manages. The main trailhead is on Bald Mountain Road, off Route 4 about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) west of its junction with Route 17 in Oquossoc, and the summit is about 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from there. An observation tower on top looks over Rangeley, Cupsuptic and Mooselookmeguntic lakes to Saddleback Mountain, Elephant Mountain, the Height of Land and New Hampshire’s Mount Washington.

Height of Land, on Route 17 atop Spruce Mountain several miles south of Oquossoc, is the highest point of the Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway and looks down on Mooselookmeguntic and the Richardson lakes toward the White Mountains. The byway follows Routes 4 and 17 around Rangeley Lake, linking Oquossoc with Rangeley village. Back in Oquossoc, the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum at the junction of Routes 4 and 17 tells the story of the region’s fishing and guiding days through vintage gear, canoes, photographs and local figures such as Fly Rod Crosby and Carrie Stevens. It opened in 2009 and usually runs from Memorial Day weekend to mid-October.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more lakes and northern New England views, try these.

• Moosehead Lake Webcam
• Lake Winnisquam Webcam
• Bar Harbor Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mooselookmeguntic Lake located?

The lake is in the Rangeley Lakes region of western Maine. This camera stands at Haines Landing in Oquossoc, a village of the town of Rangeley in Franklin County, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Rangeley village.

What can you see on the Mooselookmeguntic Lake Webcam?

A pebble and boulder beach in front of The Dunn Compound, a deck with Adirondack chairs on the left, a wooded ridge above the near shore and a wide stretch of open water reaching to distant mountains. A caption at the bottom shows the time, temperature and wind.

What is the weather like at Mooselookmeguntic Lake?

Cold and snowy in winter, with January lows around -17.6 C (0 F) at Rangeley and about 313 centimeters (123 inches) of snow a year. July is mild, with highs near 24.7 C (76 F).

What does the name Mooselookmeguntic mean?

It comes from an Abenaki word usually given as “moose feeding place”.

How big and deep is Mooselookmeguntic Lake?

It covers 16,300 acres, about 66 square kilometers (25.5 square miles), reaches 40 meters (132 feet) at its deepest and averages 18 meters (60 feet). It is the sixth largest lake in Maine.

Is Mooselookmeguntic Lake the same as Rangeley Lake?

No. Rangeley Lake is a separate lake to the east, with Rangeley village on its eastern shore. The Rangeley River enters Mooselookmeguntic from the northeast.

Who runs the Mooselookmeguntic Lake Webcam?

The camera belongs to The Dunn Compound, a lakefront rental whose Lakehouse sleeps 16 in six bedrooms, with the smaller Gingerbread House sleeping four; the two can be booked together. The stream itself is broadcast by Boston and Maine Live, a YouTube channel that streams many other cams as well.

Is there a boat launch near the camera?

Haines Landing, at the edge of Oquossoc on the same stretch of shore, is a boat launch on Mooselookmeguntic Lake with parking that also serves a trail up Bald Mountain.

Source: The Dunn Compound