View of Pleasant Lake from the boat launch
Pleasant Lake is a 1,332-acre body of water found in Casco, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 A1). Access is super easy: drive through the center of Casco on Route 121 and turn unto Mayberry Hill Road. The hard-top public boat launch is located a few hundred feet down that road on your left at the very southern tip of the lake. A large dirt parking area is situated right across from the launch.
Walk down next to the old railroad tracks until you reach this sign. Enter Otter Pond #2 right behind it.
Otter Pond #2 is a 12-acre body of water located in Standish, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D1). To reach this location, drive down Route 35 (Chadborne Road) towards the southern tip of Sebago Lake. The parking area for the Otter Ponds is located just to the north of the Route 35 bridge that crosses over the unused railroad tracks. On the other side of that bridge is the even larger parking lot for the Johnson Field athletic grounds. After you park in the ponds parking lot, do not forget to fill out the short form provided at the little wooden kiosk, and leave a copy on your vehicle’s dashboard. It takes less than a minute to complete the requested information and provides a way for the Sebago Lake Land Preserve to keep track of day usage on their property. From the parking lot, make your way down towards the old railroad tracks, turn left, and walk for less than 10 minutes next to those tracks. Your target pond will be the last one on your right.
Don’t forget to fill out the permit form available at the little wooden kiosk by the parking lot.
Otter Pond #4 is a 6-acre body of water located in Standish, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Map and Gazetteer map 5 D1). Click here for information on how to reach this pond. Make sure to follow those directions because you will pass several ponds on the way in, only two of which contain brook trout (i.e., Otter Ponds #2 and #4). Also, do not forget to fill out the short permit form provided at the little wooden kiosk by the parking lot, and leave a copy on your vehicle’s dashboard. It takes less than a minute to provide the requested information and provides a way for the Sebago Lake Land Preserve to keep track of day usage on their property. The parking lot is regularly checked by the preserve people and non-abiders will receive a kind warning to fill out the form (I know…).
The launch is hard-topped and spacious. Plenty of parking is available across the road.
Crystal Lake (a.k.a. Dry Pond) is a 189-acre body of water located in Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B3). Access to this pond is via a hard-top boat launch located at the southern tip of the lake on Mayberry Road right after it splits off from Noth Raymond Road. The town of Gray also maintains a public beach and swimming area right next to this ramp. A spacious parking lot able to accommodate dozens of vehicles is located across from the launch.
I feel so alive when contemplating a view such as this one!
Little Sebago Lake covers 1,898 acres and is located in Windham and Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). To reach the public boat launch, drive north through downtown Windham on Route 302 (Roosevelt Trail) in the direction of Raymond, turn right on Anglers Way at the light by Bob’s Seafood restaurant and Franco’s Bistro, drive past Pettingill Pond, and just follow the blue boat launch signs. The distance between Route 302 and your destination is exactly 1.3 miles. The hard-top boat launch is spacious and has plenty of parking. It also offers a convenient porta potty.
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That’s the way I like to start my mornings!
Pettingill Pond covers 36 acres and is located across from Seacoast Adventure in Windham, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). The public access to this body of water can be difficult to find. While driving on Route 302 in Windham (direction Raymond and Naples, i.e., north), turn right at the light on Anglers Road just past Bob’s Seafood Restaurant, go down that ruddy road for about 0.4 miles and look for house number 48. The small, unmarked public access will be to your left immediately past that house (and across from house #51). You have gone too far if you reach Mud Pond Road. Keep in mind that Anglers Road is narrow, potholed, and trafficky, and no vehicles are allowed to park on it or by the public access. The only readily-available place to leave your car is by Route 302.
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Trickey Pond covers 311 acres and is located in Naples, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 B5). The public access is via a clearly-marked hard-top boat launch located right off Route 114. Plenty of parking is available by the launch. Keep in mind that the steep road connecting Route 114 to the launch is typically unplowed in the winter (unless a kind soul does the job) and can therefore be undrivable. And if that is the case, then parking is very limited at the top. Fortunately, the road is clear and ice free this morning.
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I love the “vibe” of early-morning fog when ice fishing. It also indicates a total lack of wind!
Crescent Lake covers 716 acres and is located in Raymond, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2). Public access is via the hard-top boat launch located right off Route 85 (Webbs Mill Road) next to the small municipal beach. Plenty of parking is available on the road shoulder next to the launch. However, beware that parking space can be more limited after a snowstorm when the shoulder may be plowed in.
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The public access point to Pettingill Pond is unobtrusive and unmarked. No parking is allowed in this vicinity.
Pettingill Pond covers 36 acres and is located across from Seacoast Adventure in Windham, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). The public access to this body of water can be tricky to find under the snow in the winter. While driving on Route 302 in Windham (direction Raymond and Naples, i.e., north), turn right at the light on Anglers Road just past Bob’s Seafood Restaurant, go down that ruddy road for about 0.4 miles and look for house number 48. The small, unmarked public access point will be to your left immediately past that house (and across from house #51). You have gone too far if you reach Mud Pond Road. Keep in mind that Anglers Road is narrow, potholed, and trafficky, and no vehicles are allowed to park on it or by the public access. The only readily-available place to leave your car is by Route 302.
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Sand Pond is a 61-acre body of water located in Baldwin, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 D4). The pond is accessible via the public boat launch located at its southern tip by the municipal beach, next to Sand Pond Road off Route 107 (Bridgton Road). Plenty of parking space is available across from the launch.
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