Ell Pond (a.k.a. Little Pond) covers 32 acres and is located on the townline between Wells and Sanford (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 D4). Drive on Horace Mill Road and turn off on Ell Pond Road. Hang a right and the unimproved boat launch will appear at the end of the road. This small water body is surprisingly deep (maximum depth of 51 ft) and crystal clear. The substrate consists of rough sand, gravel, and cobble. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information
Alden’s Pond is a 1-acre, kids-only fishing pond located behind the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine (USM) (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 E2). To reach the pond, look for the USM police department office on Husky Drive (across from the John Mitchell Center), walk behind the office and down the steep dirt path, and pass the small retaining pond across from the soccer field. Your target will be visible on the left through the trees. The pond is fishable under Special Regulation Code S-9, i.e., open to fishing only to kids under 16-years old, restricted to two lines per person, and a daily bag limit of two trout. Click here and here for more details on the fishing regulations pertaining to this pond. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
View of the falls on the Presumpscot River from Bridge Street in downtown Westbrook
The Presumpscot River is the outlet of Sebago Lake. It flows for about 25 winding miles through the towns of Standish, Windham, Gorham, Westbrook, Falmouth, and Portland before emptying out in Casco Bay. The river drops an impressive 270 feet between Sebago Lake and the ocean through a series of falls. Many of these falls lay submerged behind the dams that dot the river. However, one of those falls, located in Westbrook, is easily accessible and makes for a great fishing site. That’s where I’m heading this morning with my 10-year old nephew Christian, who has developed into an eager fisherman this year. The Saccarappa Falls are located just upstream of Bridge Street, off Maine Street in downtown Westbrook. Ample parking is available across from a small municipal park. We walk towards the river, squeeze through a railing, and scamper down the rocks towards the water.
Christian is trying his luck fishing from the retaining wall on Wilcox Pond
Wilcox Pond is a 3-acre pond located next to Saint Joseph’s Cemetery on West Street in Biddeford, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 3 C2). This body of water is set aside as a “kids only” fishing pond. It is fishable under Special Regulation Code S-9, i.e., open to fishing only to kids under the age of 16, restricted to two lines per person, and a daily bag limit of two trout. Click here and here for more details on this topic. Every year, the state stocks it two or three times between early April and mid May with a total of between 300 and 400 10” brook trout. Do the math: this small body of water is loaded with brookies, which makes for an exciting fishing spot for young budding anglers! There is also the potential for catching larger hold-over trout because even though the pond is shallow (maximum depth = 6 ft), the bottom remains cool throughout the summer due to input from two cold-water inlets. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
View of the Little River looking upstream from underneath the Route 237 bridge
The Little River has its sources in Standish and Buxton and merges with the Presumpscot River downstream from Route 237 at the Gorham/Windham town line (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 E2). Every year, the state stocks the main stem of this river several times between early April and mid May with a total of around 2,300 brown trout and brook trout measuring 9” to 10”. Click here for stocking details .
Colleyer Brook runs roughly between North Gray and its confluence with the Royal River in East Gray (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C4). Every year, the state stocks this stream several times between early April and early May with a total of about 2,000 brown trout and brook trout measuring around 10”. Click here for stocking details are available at . I’m spending a couple of hours this afternoon exploring that part of Collyer Brook which flows upstream from Merrill Road (off Mayall Road) in Gray. I arrive at the bridge at around 2:30 pm and park on the sandy shoulder. There’s enough space to park a half-dozen cars. I talk to two guys who are getting out of their waders. They tell me that they fished the stretch upstream of the bridge and that they caught one 14” brown trout in 3 hours.
Pineland Pond is a small, 1-acre pond located next to Route 231 on land belonging to Pineland Farm, in New Gloucester, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C4, although the pond itself is not shown; navigate to the spot using Google Maps instead ). This body of water is an extremely popular brook trout pond for spring fishing because it is well-stocked and provides easy access. The entire periphery of the pond is also clear of brush and trees, which makes it one of the few ponds in the area that can be readily fly fished from shore. A small parking lot by the pond next to Route 231 can accommodate about ten cars or so. General fishing rules apply. Every year, Pineland Pond is stocked once in April and once in May with a total of about 350 10” brook trout. Do the math: this small body of water is stocked with an average of around 350 brookies per acre each spring!! This makes it, by far, the best-stocked pond in the whole of Cumberland County! I doubt, however, that any of the trout survive the hot summer months because the pond appears to be relatively shallow.
General view of Hollis School Memorial Pond in Hollis, Maine
Hollis School Memorial Pond is a tiny (0.25 acre) pond located right across from the Hollis Elementary School on Town Farm Road off Route 35 in Hollis (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 A5, but the pond is not shown; navigate to the spot using Google Maps instead). About 75% of the pond is ringed with cattails, leaving the remainder of the shoreline open for easy access. Note that several bright red plastified paper signs affixed to surrounding trees state that the pond is fishable only by kids 15 years and younger. A check of the Maine fishing rules (available here) does not show that the pond is regulated as a kids fishing pond, so I suspect that this restriction reflects a town ordnance. Every year, Hollis School Memorial Pond is stocked once in April and once in May with about 100 10” brook trout each time. Do the math: this miniscule body of water is stocked with an average of around 800 brookies per acre each spring!! This makes it one of the best-stocked ponds in the entire State of Maine. I doubt, however, that any of these trout survive the hot summer months because the pond appears to be relatively shallow.
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