For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water less than 50 acres in size (well, give or take…) 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’t wait to catch brookies through the ice.
The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Knox 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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Hosmer Pond covers 53 acres and is located next to Hosmer Road in Camden, Knox County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 D3). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/knox/hosmer_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 11 brook trout per acre. Most of the stocked trout measured around 7”, but 175 of them (around 3 trout per acre) measured 13”. The pot was further sweetened with 50 brown trout (or about 1 brown trout per acre) measuring 12″.
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Long Pond covers 73 acres and is located on the eastern side of the island next to Main Road in Isle au Haut, Knox County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 9 A4). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/knox/long_pond_(turners_lake).pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with 27 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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