Category Archives: Ponds and Lakes

Fishing for brook trout on Spicer Pond in Shapleigh, York County, Maine (June 12, 2020)

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Spicer Pond is embedded within the Vernon S. Walker Wildlife Management Area. This sign is by the parking area.

 

Spicer Pond is an 11-acre body of water located off Route 11 (Shapleigh Corner Road) in North Shapleigh, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 A2). The pond is embedded within the 5,617-acre Vernon S. Walker Wildlife Management Area (WMA) which sprawls over the towns of Newfield, Limerick, and Shapleigh. Access to the pond is via a wide and well-maintained ATV trail which starts at the WMA dirt parking lot off Route 11. The trail is gated such that no cars can drive within the WMA. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from the parking area to the pond. I decide not to transport my canoe on the canoe wheels because of the distance and the sandy trail, but instead carry my light-weight and back-packable fishing float tube.

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Fishing for landlocked Atlantic salmon on Pierce Pond, Somerset County, Maine (May 25, 2020)

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I’m on my annual extended Memorial Day weekend fishing pilgrimage to Pierce Pond located in Somerset County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). Click here for a more detailed description of this water body. My son, nephew, and I are spending five days camping rough on one of the island camp sites on Upper Pond owned and operated by Cobbs Camp. Unfortunately, we won’t be staying at the Cobbs cabins on Lower Pond this year on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

 

Catching landlocked Atlantic salmon on the dry fly is such a blast!

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Fishing for landlocked Atlantic salmon on Long Lake, Naples, Maine (May 3, 2020)

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The sign for the boat launch in downtown Naples off Route 302. Beware that this access is reserved for Naples residents.

 

Long Lake is a 4,867-acre body of water located in the towns of Naples, Bridgton, and Harisson in Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 A5). I access the lake this morning via the Naples town beach and boat launch at Kent’s Landing in downtown Naples, right off Route 302. It is only after I take a picture of the sign by Route 302 and read its fine print that I realize this access is in fact not public but available for use only by “Naples residents and taxpayers”… No one was checking when I arrived at 5:15 this morning and the entrance is not gated, so I do not know how vigorously this rule is enforced during normal operating hours. Two other boat launches are available: one at Plummer Landing in Bridgton off Route 302, and the other at the northern tip of the lake off Route 35 in Harrison. The launch at Kent’s Landing in Naples is spacious and improved, and provides ample parking, plus bathroom facilities.

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Fishing for rainbow trout on Pennesseewassee Lake, Norway, Oxford County, Maine (April 25, 2020)

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The public boat launch has ample parking space

 

Pennesseewassee Lake (a.k.a. Norway Lake) is a 922-acre body of water located in Norway, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 D1). Public access is through a high-quality boat launch off Waterford Road. Coming in from Harrison, drive north on Route 117 all the way to the lake. Turn left at the stop sign on Waterford Road, go for 0.3 miles, and then turn right at the boat launch sign. An aggressive annual stocking program has turned this pretty lake into an easily-accessible regional rainbow trout fishery powerhouse, with secondary fishing for landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout. The lake is moderately developed and consists of a larger lower basin and a smaller upper basin, separated by several islands. During open-water fishing, most people tend to focus their efforts on the lower basin because of its closeness to the boat launch. One negative about this general area is that the constant traffic on Lake Road (i.e., Routes 117/118) is visible and audible from the water. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. Maine’s general fishing laws for the South Zone apply during spring open-water fishing.

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Fishing for splake on Trickey Pond, Naples, Maine (April 24, 2020)

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Trickey Pond has a nice hard-top boat launch

 

Trickey Pond is a 311-acre body of water located in Naples, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 B5). Public access is through a high-quality boat launch located right off Route 114 at the southern end of the pond. Ample parking is available. The pond and I are old acquaintances. I have ice fished it multiple times over the last 25 years (click here and here for recent examples) on account of its high-quality salmon, splake, and smallmouth bass fishery. In fact, I have caught my largest landlocked salmon (5.5 pounds) and splake (4.5 pounds) through the ice out of this pond. However, beware that even though the quality of the fish is high, the quantity is extremely low… One definitely has to put in the time to decipher this little gem and earn the right to land a fish.

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Fishing for brown trout and brook trout on Middle Range Pond, Poland, Maine (April 23, 2020)

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The passageway underneath Range Hill Road. Middle Range Pond is visible in the background.

 

Middle Range Pond is a 366-acre body of water located in Poland, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 A3). This pond is the second of the three interconnected Range Pond chain-of-lakes (i.e., upper, middle, and lower). The middle and upper ponds actually share a public boat launch which is located off Range Hill Road, at the downstream end of upper pond. A narrow passage underneath this road allows boats to access middle pond. Plenty of parking is available at the launch site. Note that the stretch of water between this passageway and Middle Range Pond extends for about a third of a mile, is really shallow (1-2 ft deep), and overgrown with aquatic vegetation later on in the season. It is actually a great spot for catching largemouth bass in May and June, but that is not why I’m here for today.

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Fishing for rainbow trout on Silver Lake in Sidney and Manchester, Kennebec County, Maine (April 18, 2020)

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Silver Lake (a.k.a. Figure Eight Pond) is a 29-acre two-lobed body of water located in Sidney and Manchester, Kennebec County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 B5). Click here for directions on how to reach this location. I note for the record that both Baxter Drive and Community Drive have a panel nailed to a tree along the side of the road stating “dead end”. Just pass those signs and keep on going until you reach the pond.

 

View of the rough boat launch with the southern lobe in the background

 

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Ice fishing for brook trout on Kalers Pond in Waldoboro, Lincoln County, Maine (January 18, 2020)

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Kalers Pond covers 87 acres and is located in Waldoboro, Lincoln County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 13 E4). Drive east on Route 1 and turn left on Kalers Pond Road by the Dow Furniture store (look for the green store sign next to Route 1) about 1.5 miles before downtown Waldoboro. Note that Kalers Pond Road is privately owned, although it is not posted as such. Access to the pond is via permissive trespass over this road. I notice several hand-made signs pointing anglers in the direction of the access point. The road is unplowed past the last sign, which also requests that anglers park their vehicles at a plowed parking area across from the furniture store by Route 1. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk from the parking area by the store to the last sign, and another 2 minutes from this sign to the pond. I urge everyone to respect the wishes of the local property owners and follow the rules in order to keep access to this pond open and available to the general public far into the future.

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Ice fishing for brown trout on Pettingill Pond in Windham, Cumberland County, Maine (January 6, 2020)

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Pettingill Pond covers 36 acres and is located 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 dirt 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. Note that Anglers Road is narrow, twisty, and trafficky. No vehicles can be parked on it. Route 302 is the only readily-available place to leave your car in that area.

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Ice fishing for brook trout on Silver Lake in Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, Maine (December 28, 2019)

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The first trout of the morning is a real beauty!

 

Silver Lake covers 12 acres and is located next to the ocean in Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 6 E5; note that the lake is shown on the map but is not specifically named). To reach this pond, drive on Route 209 from Bath towards Popham Beach State Park. Pass the state park entrance and drive for another 0.5 miles. Turn right on Hunnewell Avenue just before reaching the pond. You can park your vehicle on the left side about 200 ft further down that road. I do not know what the parking situation would be on Hunnewell Avenue after a snow storm when the road has been plowed and the narrow shoulder is filled with snow.

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