Category Archives: Ponds and Lakes

Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in York County (winter of 2014)

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About a dozen and a half ponds in York 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 many 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 York County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Knox County, Maine (winter of 2014)

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About 10 ponds in Knox 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 many 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 Knox County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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Ice fishing for trout on Dutton Pond, Knox, Maine (December 28, 2013)

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General view of Dutton Pond under a low-light, leaden sky

General view of Dutton Pond under a low-light, leaden sky

Dutton Pond covers 36 acres and is located next to Dutton Pond Road off Route 137 in Knox, Waldo County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 A3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. The pond is quite pretty and feels surprisingly “isolated”, with only two houses visible along the eastern shoreline. This side of the pond appears marshy, but the opposite side is wooded and hilly. I drive 105 miles – one way – to reach this choice spot. Why would anyone go through all of this effort to go ice fishing? The reason is simple: Dutton Pond offers good odds of hooking into a lunker trout during the winter of 2014, but is also stocked with many smaller trout. My hope for today is to catch either a 19” brookie or a 24” brown trout… I arrive at 8 am, park my car on Dutton Pond Road and immediately make my way on the ice. The conditions this morning are to my liking: overcast with flurries in the air. My experience is that low light levels are typically good when ice fishing for trout because the fish stay shallow instead of seeking refuge from the sun in deeper waters. I drill my first hole and am surprised by the 10” of ice, which reflects the harsh winter weather we’ve experienced over the last 2-3 weeks. I’m also in less than 1 ft of water… In fact, I have to move a good 100 ft away from shore before finding 6 ft of water.  

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Kennebec County, Maine (winter of 2014)

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About 30 ponds in Kennebec 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 many 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 Kennebec County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Hancock County, Maine (winter of 2014)

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About 45 ponds in Hancock 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 many 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 Hancock County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Cumberland County, Maine (winter of 2014)

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About 25 ponds in Cumberland County, Maine, were stocked in the fall of 2013 with trout 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 Cumberland County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Aroostook County, Maine (winter of 2014)

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About 20 ponds in Aroostook County, Maine, were stocked in the fall of 2013 with trout 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 Aroostook County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Androscoggin County, Maine (winter of 2014)

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A dozen ponds in Androscoggin County, Maine, were stocked in the fall of 2013 with trout 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 spices-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 Androscoggin County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Waldo County, Maine

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For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water less than 50 acres in size which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing.  Such small ponds freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish several weeks before the bigger lakes become accessible.  This provides a real opportunity for hot early-season action for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to catch brookies through the ice.

The two TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Waldo County are highlighted below.  A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density: the more trout are stocked per acre, the higher the chances of catching them.

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Piscataquis County, Maine

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For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water less than 50 acres in size (well, give or take…) which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing.  Such small ponds freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish several weeks before the bigger lakes become accessible.  This provides a real opportunity for hot early-season action for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to catch brookies through the ice.

The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Piscataquis County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order).  Only a handful of ponds are listed because most of the smaller water bodies are closed to ice fishing.  A pond is considered “TOP” based on its stocking density: the more trout are stocked per acre, the higher the chances of catching them.

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