For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water less than 50 acres in size which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing. These small ponds freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish several weeks before the bigger lakes become accessible. This provides a real opportunity for hot early-season action for those of us (myself included!) who just can’twait to catch brookies through the ice.
The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Hancock County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order). A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density: the more trout are stocked per acre, the higher the chances of catching them.
Keep in mind that the state typically manages these smaller ponds as winter “put-and-take” fisheries. As a result, they get a lot of pressure early in the season and may be largely fished out within a few weeks. But by then the bigger lakes have frozen over and the ice fishing action moves elsewhere.
Always consult the latest regulations (available at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/regulations_seasons/index.htm) about special ice fishing rules that may apply on these ponds. I have done my utmost best to verify that a particular pond is indeed open for ice fishing, but I make no guarantees that my interpretation of the Maine fishing rules is accurate or correct. It is up to each individual reader of this blog to ensure that a pond listed below can be fished through the ice. Note also that the list below excludes “kids only” ponds.
Finally, use the website linked to this blog to discover how many trout and salmon are released per acre in the spring and fall in all the 600+ ponds and lakes stocked annually throughout Maine.
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Anderson Pond covers 16 acres and is located in Township T10 SD, Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 25 D1). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/anderson_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 16 brook trout per acre. All of the stocked trout measured 9”.
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Bubble Pond covers 32 acres and is located off the Park Loop Road in the township of Bar Harbor (Acadia National Park), Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B4). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/bubble_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 17 brook trout per acre. Most of the stocked trout measure around 7”, but 50 of them (between 1 and 2 trout per acre) measured 13”.
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Lake Wood covers 16 acres and is located off Crooked Road in Bar Harbor, Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B3). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/lake_wood.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 30 brook trout per acre. All of the stocked trout measure around 7”.
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Lower Hadlock Pond covers 39 acres and is located on Hadlock Pond Road off Route 3/198 in Mount Desert (Acadia National Park), Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 C3). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/hadlock_pond_lower.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 15 brook trout per acre. Most of the stocked trout measured around 7”, but 75 of them (or about 2 trout per acre) measured 13”.
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Rainbow Pond covers 17 acres and is located between Tunk Lake and Donnell Pond in Township T10 SD, Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 24 D5) A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/rainbow_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 33 brook trout per acre. All of the stocked trout measure around 7”.
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Tilden Pond covers 36 acres and is located in Township T10 SD, Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 25 D1). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/tilden_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 28 brook trout per acre. All of the stocked trout measure around 7”.
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Witchhole Pond covers 28 acres and is located off Paradise Hill Road in the township of Bar Harbor (Acadia National Park), Hancock County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 16 B4). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/hancock/witchhole_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 34 brook trout per acre. All of the stocked trout measured around 7”.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at these locations.
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