Category Archives: Ponds and Lakes

Fishing for brook trout on Round Pond in Albany (White Mountain National Forest), Maine (June 8, 2019)

Posted on by
Reply

View Map

 

The float tube is my secret fishing weapon this afternoon!

 

Round Pond is a picturesque 11-acre body of water located in Albany (White Mountain National Forest, WMNF), Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 C3). To reach this spot, drive up to the Crocker Pond camp ground managed by the US Forest Service and leave your vehicle at the head of the Albany Brook Trail, located about 300 ft past the campground entrance. By the way, this clean and well-maintained campground is a great base to explore the tremendous hiking and fishing opportunities in the surrounding WMNF. Round Pond is an easy 1-mile hike (about 30 minutes) from camp. A serious limitation is that, unlike Baxter State Park, the Forest Service does not store a canoe along the shoreline of remote ponds for day use. Hence, you’ll have to bring your own floatation device. Two people could conceivably drag in a canoe at great metabolic cost. I carry my much lighter float tube since I’m fishing by myself this afternoon. For the record, quality fishing from shore would be a real challenge at this location because the entire shoreline is surrounded by dense shrubs
Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Fishing for landlocked Atlantic salmon on Pierce Pond, Somerset County, Maine (May 26, 2019)

Posted on by
4

View Map

A quiet moment of reflection at the camp site located in the upper basin of Pierce Pond

I’m on my annual extended Memorial Day weekend fishing bonanza to Pierce Pond, located in the undeveloped wilds of western Maine (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). We stay for several days at a camp site on one of the islands in the upper basin of the pond, but head to Cobb’s Camps located in the lower basin across from Lindsey Cove to let ourselves be pampered for four days.

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Ice fishing for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass on Panther Pond, Raymond, Maine (February 23, 2019)

Posted on by
1

View Map

It’s crisp and cold this morning. Time to rise and start ice fishing!

 

It’s the annual winter school vacation, so it’s high time to go camping and fishing with the kids… on the ice! My son Joel and I are eager to make it a success because this will be a new experience for his two boys. The goal is to find a spot on a local lake where we can drive up, pitch the family tent, and be reasonably assured of catching quality fish to keep the two boys engaged and entertained. Previous fishing experiences on Panther Pond in Raymond, Maine (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2) has shown us that this body of water supports a serious smallmouth and largemouth bass population of braggin’-size fish (click here, here, and here for examples). My son Joel and I are putting that information to good use.

 

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Ice fishing for largemouth bass on Bradley Pond, Lovell, Maine (February 9, 2019)

Posted on by
3

View Map

 

Bradley Pond Road is one continuous sheet of slippery ice this morning!

 

Bradley Pond is a 34 acre body of water located in Lovell, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 D2). To reach this destination, drive north on Route 5 from Lovell, and turn right on Bradley Pond Road. Drive down this winding road, keeping right at the split, until the pond appears to your left. The ice can be accessed via the rough boat launch indicated by a sign. No real parking is available during the winter because the small launch area remains unplowed, so vehicles have to be parked as best as possible along the side of the road. Fortunately, the road itself has no through traffic since it is a dead end that serves only the three houses present along the western shoreline.

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Ice fishing for white perch on Panther Pond, Raymond, Maine (February 2, 2019)

Posted on by
Reply

Panther Pond is a 1,439 acre body of water located in Raymond, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2). One way to reach the ice is to turn right on Meadow Road (Route 121) from Main Street in Raymond (off Route 302, a.k.a. Roosevelt Trail), drive north for 0.5 miles before turning right unto Giselle Lane. Park your vehicle on the side of this road. A short snowmobile trail leads directly to the pond.

Panther Pond is filled with large schools of voracious white perch

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Ice fishing for brook trout on Chaffin Pond in Windham, Maine (December 15, 2018)

Posted on by
Reply

View Map

Antony proudly shows off his fish

 

Chaffin Pond is a pretty 13-acre body of water located in Windham, Maine (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). Access is super-easy! Drive on Route 302 north in downtown Windham, pass the Home Depot sign (Franklin Drive) and take the next right on Chaffin Pond Reserve Drive (Donnabeth Lippman Park) just before the Sherman Williams store. The pond is a couple of 100 ft down the road. Ample parking is available.

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Fishing for rainbow trout on Little Ossipee Lake in Waterboro, Maine (November 24, 2018)

Posted on by
Reply

View Map

We came prepared to launch the boat using the 4X4!

 

Little Ossipee Lake covers 564 acres and is located in Waterboro, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 A4). Access to this body of water is via an excellent hard-top boat launch located next to Route 5 along the western side of the lake. Ample parking is available next to the launch, as are two porta potties. The lake supports a well-known and popular regional salmonid fishery (rainbow trout in particular, but also brook trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon) which the state maintains via an aggressive annual stocking program. It is also a well-known bass-fishing hot spot. Its easy accessibility and smorgasbord of desirable species ensures that the lake is pounded hard each year during the ice-fishing season, including a well-attended annual ice-fishing derby. I’m going to get a piece of this sweet pie ahead of the crowds…

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Fishing for brook trout on Otter Pond #4 in Standish, Maine (November 9, 2018)

Posted on by
2

View Map

Aaahh, that rising sun feels so good on my numb fingers!

 

The tree leaves have all changed colors and dropped to the ground, the nights are getting decidedly colder, and winter feels like it’s just around the corner. Yet, it would be foolish to stow away the rods and reels because open-water fishing opportunities are still beckoning all over southern Maine for those willing to put in the effort! In fact, it never ceases to amaze me that we have access to a smorgasbord of fishing locations in the fall which remain largely unused. Most everyone else stops going out once it gets colder, which means that we essentially have all the hot fishing spots entirely to ourselves! That, of course, is perfectly fine with me. My blog readers have asked me in the past about locations that can be fished for trout in the fall using waders and without the need for a boat or fancy electronics. Otter Pond #4 is one of those spots.

 

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Fishing for splake on Indian Pond in Greenwood, Maine (October 7, 2018)

Posted on by
2

The boat launch at Indian Pond is unimproved but can easily accommodate small trailered boats

 

Indian Pond covers 68 acres and is located in Greenwood, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 B5). The access point is on Hobbs Road, off Rowe Hill Road, at the northern end of the pond. Drive on Hobbs Road for 0.6 miles until you reach a gate with a “no trespassing” sign. The boat launch is on the right just before that gate. The launch is unimproved but can easily accommodate small trailered boats. Parking is on the side in the woods.

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove

Fishing for brook trout on Lower South Branch Pond in Baxter State Park, Maine (September 29, 2018)

Posted on by
2

View Map

A stunning view of Lower South Branch Pond from the canoe launch area

 

My son Joel and I are leaving town for the weekend to partake in our annual fall camping, fishing, and hiking trip. We’ve decided to visit one of our favorite destinations to pursue these shared passions, namely Baxter State Park (BSP) in northern Maine. The plan is to fish for native brook trout on Lower South Branch Pond on Saturday afternoon, sleep at one of the lean-tos at the camp area by the pond Saturday night, and spend the next day hiking the awesome Traveler Mountains loop trail, which starts and ends at the pond. The South Branch Pond camp site is accessible by car, which makes it very convenient to get to. Camping reservations must be made in advance by contacting BSP directly. Before I get on the topic of fishing, let me say that the effort required to hike the Travelers is, in my opinion, on par with hiking Mount Kathadin located at the southern end of BSP! The Travelers hike may take up to 9 or 10 hours to complete, ascends and descends three main peaks (and numerous “false peaks”), and is quite technical, particularly the first half of the hike (Center Ridge Trail) where long stretches of the “trail” consist of enormous boulder fields that will test your ankles, knees, balance, and muscles. Keep in mind that this hike is NOT for novices or beginners. And here’s the best part. Joel and I encountered a grand total of only two people during the entire day, while I suspect that Mount Katahdin was overrun by hordes of tourists!

Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove