Around 35 ponds in Hancock County, Maine, were stocked in the fall of 2012 with brook trout and brown trout to support ice fishing during the winter of 2013. Most of the stocked trout are relatively small (7” to 11”), but plentiful, in order to provide fast action on the ice.
The state also spices-up several of these ponds with bigger trout, which I define here as fish measuring 12” or more. This blog highlight the ponds (presented in alphabetical order) in Hancock County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish. It is recommended to consult the latest law book (available here) about special ice fishing rules that may apply on the ponds described below. Note also that the list excludes “kids only” ponds.
Keep in mind that the number of bigger trout stocked in a pond is typically much lower than for the smaller trout. Hence, patience is required to catch one of those larger fish. As a rough comparison, the average stocking rate for landlocked salmon in Maine is about 0.5 salmon per acre (which is equivalent to 1 salmon every two acres).
I did my utmost best to verify that a particular pond is indeed open for ice fishing, but I make no guarantees whatsoever that my interpretation of the convoluted Maine fishing rules is accurate or correct. It is up to each reader of this blog to ensure that the ponds listed below can be fished through the ice.
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Lower Hadlock Pond covers 39 acres and is located alongside Routes 198 and 3 in Mount Desert on Mount Desert Island (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 C3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with big brook trout (75 fish of 13”), which yields about 2 large trout per acre.
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Lower Springy Pond covers 114 acres and is located alongside Lower Springy Pond Road in the town of Otis (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 24 B1). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with big brook trout (200 fish of 12” and 50 fish of 17”), which yields about 2 large trout per acre.
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Middle Oxhead Pond covers 38 acres and is located to the west of Nicatous Lake in township T40 MD (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 34 C4). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with big brook trout (85 fish of 17”), which yields about 2 large trout per acre. Middle Oxhead Pond offers the best odds of catching a 2.5 lbs trout in Downeast Maine during the 2013 ice fishing season!
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Round Pond covers 38 acres and is located alongside Route 102 (Pretty Marsh Road) in Mount Desert on Mount Desert Island (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B2). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with big brook trout (100 fish of 13”), which yields about 3 large trout per acre.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions by posting a comment. Also, feel free to tell us about your fishing experiencs on any of the ponds presented above.
