The boat launch by the outlet is hard-topped and provides plenty of parking.
August 16, 2024
Location and Access to Bryant Pond
Where is Bryant Pond Located?
This 278-acre water body (a.k.a. Christopher Pond) is found in Woodstock and Greenwood, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 B5). My goal this morning is trolling for salmon on Bryant Pond.
Access and Boat Launch
To access this pond, drive on Route 26 and turn off on Old County Road. Drive for about 1 mile before turning left on Rowe Hill Road. The public access point will be immediately to your right and is clearly marked with a blue sign. It is located in a small municipal park next to the pond’s outlet.
The boat launch is hard-topped and provides plenty of parking area.
The local asylum of loons stops by for a chatty visit.
Bryant Pond Features, Stocking, Thermocline, Depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
Bryant Pond is a really attractive lake! It is moderately developed and surrounded by multiple wooded hills. It is also dotted by half a dozen romantic, rocky islands. I find the general lay-out of the place to be quite pleasing and peaceful. I identified this water body as an angling target using my proven search strategy.
Annual Stocking
The State stocks this pond each spring with 325 9- to 10-inch splake and 100 7- to 8-inch landlocked Atlantic salmon, which results in a sparse stocking density of about 1 splake per acre and one salmon every 2-3 acres. I am not expecting angling fireworks based on these low numbers…The pond also receives a modest spring and fall stocking of brook trout, but that species is not the focus of my efforts today.
The Thermocline
As part of my pre-trip research, I checked the temperature and oxygen data published by Lakes of Maine, to determine the depth of the thermocline in Bryant Pond. The data show that this narrow warm-to-cold water transition layer typically occurs from 17 to 23 ft. below the surface in August.
In certain years, the cooler water towards the bottom of the thermocline may also experience low oxygen levels. However, the cold water below the thermocline always has low oxygen levels in August and is therefore devoid of salmon and trout. This information tells me that I should not place my lures any deeper than about 20 ft. below the surface to stay in cool but oxygenated water.
That is a feature I specifically seek when looking for places to troll in the summer. The reason is that between July and September, all salmon and trout present in lakes that contain cold but deoxygenated bottoms are effectively confined to the thermocline. They are unable to spend any time in the oxygen-rich but overheated water above or in the cold but oxygen-poor water below. This key factor makes it so much easier to target salmonids in the summer. It also removes much of the guesswork out of the catch equation!
Depth Profile
Bryant Pond has a mean and maximum depth of 32 ft. and 63 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more (dated) fisheries information. Beware that the depth map for this pond is only roughly accurate. It misses some islands and shows continuous expanses of deep water (> 40 ft. deep) which are actually interrupted by several shallower areas (< 30 ft. deep), which took me by surprise.
Fishing Regulations for Trolling for Salmon on Bryant Pond
Open-water angling at this location occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone. However, anglers can keep as many bass as they want, with no minimum or maximum size restrictions. Also, specific rules apply to the taking of smelts. Finally, anglers can fish between October 1 and November 30 using artificial lures only. But they have to release all salmonids alive and at once during this period. Click here for the full fishing regulations applicable to Bryant Pond.
I love the vibe: no wind, low cloud deck, and hazy. I have the place all to myself!
Trolling for salmon on Bryant Pond
Arrival and Conditions
I arrive at the Bryant Pond boat launch at 5:40 am and push off 15 minutes later. The conditions are perfect: a low cloud deck, no direct sunlight, and little or no wind. The forecast calls for rain later this morning. The air temperature is in the low 60’s whereas the surface water temperature is 74°F; the hottest part of summer is already behind us and the water temperature is starting to drop.
Technique for Trolling for Salmon on Bryant Pond
I troll using my spinning rod on the downrigger and my 8-weight fly fishing rod with lead core line. I use three small trout spoons tied back-to-back with the spinning rod and three one-hook smelt-imitating streamer flies tied back-to-back on the fly rod. I keep the latter in my hand and constantly rip the line to impart erratic movement to the flies below (note: the spoons on the downrigger create their own movements).
I place my offerings 20 ft. below the surface over 40+ ft. of water. I spend the first hour trolling around the island located at the end of the shallow channel that connects the boat launch to the rest of the lake. That island confused me because the depth map did not show it…
A fish hits one of the spoons on the downrigger within 20 minutes. That gets my blood flowing because it means that I am fishing at the right depth. However, nothing else happens over the next 40 minutes as I circle several times around the island in the hope of a repeat. It is time to leave this spot and move farther into the pond.
The fishing is slow but I do catch my target fish species! All the triangulations bore fruit.
Results of Trolling for Salmon on Bryant Pond
I follow my proven rule of swapping out lures if they have not produced within an hour. I am soon trolling with a new set of three larger Mooselook spoons and a new set of three larger two-hook streamer flies. That strategy works because I hook a fish on the downrigger just 20 minutes later.
Great, finally some action! I tussle with and reel in a 16-inch, brown-tinted landlocked salmon. The creature gets photographed, measured, and quickly released. Its small size doesn’t matter because I caught my target species at the right depth using the right lure!
By now, I am trolling all the way at the northern end of Bryant Pond where I find a 50+ ft. deep area right along the western shore. I get a third and final hit on the lead core line but once again fail to connect with the fish below. It is frustrating to miss such opportunities considering how few occur and how much time and effort it takes to be on the water.
It is past 9 am by now and I have been trolling for over 3 hours. I feel the first anticipated raindrops. I call it a good morning, glad to have caught my target species. The slow action disappointed but didn’t surprise me.
Fortunately, the gorgeous setting and quiet morning turns the event into an enjoyable experience for mind and soul. I highly recommend it!
The outcome of trolling for salmon on Bryant Pond: I caught one landlocked salmon (16 inches) in 3.5 hours of slooow fishing.
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 this location.
Tight Lines, y’all.
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