The state releases part of its trout brood stock every fall to create some real and unexpected excitement during ice fishing. In most cases, though, too few of the huge fish are present such that catching one of them falls into the category of plain-old luck. In a few select ponds, however, enough of these fish were released in the fall of 2012 that it would make sense to target them specifically.
For this blog, I will define a lunker trout as measuring 20 or more inches. Such a fish would weigh in at between 3.5 and 4.5 lbs depending on its actual size, which would make anyone’s ice fishing day! I also defined the minimum stocking density where it becomes worth targeting these fish as around 0.5 fish per acre of pond. This value is roughly the stocking density for landlocked salmon throughout Maine.
The following six ponds (presented in alphabetical order) met the two criteria outlined above. No other ponds in Maine provide better odds for catching the fish of a life time during the 2013 icefishing season. It is recommended to consult the latest law book (available here) about special ice fishing rules that may apply on these ponds.
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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Dutton Pond covers 36 acres and is located alongside Dutton Pond Road (off Route 137) in the town of Knox, Waldo County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 A3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with 30 brook trout measuring 20” each, which yields about 0.8 lunker trout per acre.
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Hosmer Pond covers 53 acres and is located alongside Hosmer Pond Road in Camden, Knox County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 D3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with 30 brook trout measuring 20” each, which yields about 0.4 lunker trout per acre.
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Knickerbocker Pond covers 105 acres and is located off Barters Island Road in Boothbay, Lincoln County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 7 C2). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with 100 rainbow trout measuring 22” each, which yields about 1 lunker trout per acre.
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Levenseller Pond covers 34 acres and is located alongside Route 173 in Searsmont, Waldo County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 C3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with 30 brook trout measuring 20” each, which yields about 0.9 lunker trout per acre.
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Nequasset Lake covers 392 acres and is located off Route 1 in Woolwich, Sagadahoc County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 B5). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with 200 rainbow trout measuring 22” each, which yields about 0.5 lunker trout per acre.
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Norton Pond covers 112 acres and is located alongside Norton Pond Road (off Routes 173 and 52, also known as Main Street) in Lincolnville, Waldo County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 C3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2012 with 100 rainbow trout measuring 22” each, which yields about 0.9 lunker 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.
