Five ponds in Sagadahoc County, Maine, were stocked with trout in the fall of 2013 to support ice fishing. Most of these fish are relatively small (7” to 12”), but plentiful, in order to provide fast action on the ice.
The state also spiced up several of these ponds with bigger trout, which I define here as fish measuring 13” or more, and weighing at least 1.0 lb. This blog highlights the ponds (presented in alphabetical order) in Sagadahoc County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.
I only include ponds that were stocked in the fall of 2013 with a minimum of 1 large trout per acre. As a rough yardstick, the average stocking density for landlocked salmon in Maine ponds and lakes is about 0.3 to 0.5 salmon per acre, which equals 1 salmon every two to three acres. Keep in mind that the number of bigger trout stocked in a pond is typically much lower than for the smaller trout. Hence, patience is required to catch those larger fish.
It is highly recommended to consult the latest regulations (available at www.eregulations.com/maine/fishing/) about special ice fishing rules that may apply on the ponds described below. I did 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 reader of this blog to ensure that a pond listed below can be fished through the ice. Note also that the list 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+ stocked ponds and lakes throughout Maine.
A fat 17″ rainbow trout caught through the ice
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Center Pond covers 75 acres and is located next to Route 209 in Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 D5). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/sagadahoc/center_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with big brook trout (200 fish of 13” and 15 fish of 14”), which yields about 3 large trout per acre.
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Sewall Pond covers 43 acres and is located next to Route 127 (Arrowsic Road) in Arrowsic, Sagadahoc County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 C5). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/sagadahoc/sewell_pond.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with big brook trout (250 fish of 13” and 25 fish of 19”), which yields about 6 large trout per acre.
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Silver Lake covers 12 acres and is located off Route 209 by Popham Beach in Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 E5). A depth map and more fisheries information can be obtained at www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/lakesurvey_maps/sagadahoc/silver_lake.pdf. This pond was stocked in the fall of 2013 with big brook trout (50 fish of 13” and 10 fish of 14”), which yields about 5 large trout per acre.
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 any of these locations.
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We will be up on Silver Lake this summer, should I even bother bringing up any gear? From Maine Wildlife, it sounds like the lake was treated to remove all other fish and then stocked with trout.
Hi Chris, Silver Lake is a small (12 acres) and shallow (max depth of 7 ft) pond which does not provide a cold water refuge for trout in the summer. Hence, the trout that are stocked each fall support a winter and spring fishery, but any survivors are expected to die from the warm water in the summer. So, I would not bother fishing this pond for trout when you come up. However, that part of coastal Maine has a number of delightful largemouth bass ponds that you might want to explore (see https://www.amazingfishametric.com/?p=2522 for more details). Drop me a line to tell us how you did if you decide to fish some of those ponds. Also, if you haven’t done so yet, feel free to sign up on my website to be notified when I post future fishing blogs. I’ll be revealing other hidden gems which may be of interest to you. Tight lines!