November 4, 2026
Location and Access to Center Pond
Where is Center Pond Located?
This 376-acre water body is found in Sangerville, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 32 C1). My goal this morning is wader fishing for trout on Center Pond.
Access
The access road to the boat launch on Center Pond is called Edgerly Boat Landing. It splits off from Silver Mills Road and is indicated by a very faded and no-longer-blue “Public Boat Access” sign.
Confusingly, Center Pond Road, which provides no public access, runs parallel and immediately next to Edgerly Boat Landing. That definitely baffled me and sent me on a wild goose chase… Hence, make sure to take the correct road in.
The public access point has a short but solid boat ramp and a dock. However, little to no public parking is available next to the launch, and much of the space around it appears privately owned (lawns and driveways).
Center Pond Features, Depth Profile, Stocking, and Angling Rules
This first big boy told me to move further to my left.
General Characteristics
The pond is moderately developed and surrounded by low, forested hills. It provides no particular vistas of the surrounding landscape. But the area is rural and quiet.
Depth Profile
Center Pond has a mean and maximum depth of 9 ft. and 19 ft., respectively, making it a shallow lake. Click here for a depth map.
I could not resist inspecting the summer water quality data for this lake provided in lakesofmaine.org. The data show that the water in the summer is warm (mid-70’s) from top to bottom. Hence, it does not form a cool thermocline where trout could hide during summer.
Annual Stocking
The State provides a light stocking of catching-size brook trout each fall (about 4 brookies per acre) to support a fall and winter fishery, and each spring (about 3 brookies per acre) to support a spring fishery. Few if any of these brookies are expected to survive the summer because of the lack of a cool-water layer during that period.
Interestingly, given the less-than-ideal summer conditions outlined above, the state also stocks brown trout in Center Pond each fall at a rate of about 4 trout per acre. I file that tidbit of info in my brain because this stocking density is about 4 times above the usual level of 1 brown trout per acre…
Also, the State typically only stocks brown trout if those fish can survive year-over-year and grow to larger sizes. Unlike brook trout, browns are tough creatures able to thrive in warmer summer conditions under intense competition from other resident fish. But it also suggests that this lake may have cool-water refugia (e.g., submerged groundwater springs) where brown trout can congregate to wait out the warm summer months.
Fishing Regulations
The general fishing laws for the North Zone apply at this location. The lake is open to fall fishing between October 1 and November 30. However, anglers can only use artificial lures during this period. They also have to release all trout alive at once. In addition, Center Pond is open to ice fishing. Click here for the full angling rules.
Wader Fishing for Trout on Center Pond
The brookies are willing to play this morning!
Arrival and Conditions
I reach the public access point on Center Pond by 9 am after driving down Center Pond Road and fruitlessly looking for the boat ramp over there…
It is overcast but relatively warm (54°F) this morning. Not bad for early November. A lack of wind makes things feel even balmier. The temperature is forecast to rise into the low 70’s when the low cloud deck clears up later today. Also, the water temperature is a chilly 48°F.
I layer up with warm clothes, don my waders, and enter the water by the boat launch. The wading conditions along the shoreline are acceptable. My boots sink only a few inches into the substrate and the water gains depth gradually, making for safe wading conditions. It is also unobstructed by slippery boulders or fallen trees.
Finally, the submerged aquatic vegetation has mostly died off. That minimizes fouling the lure.
Technique for Wader Fishing for Trout on Center Pond
Where there’s one, there’s typically more…
Wader fishing in a lake provides a fundamentally different experience from boat fishing. The latter offers flexibility, mobility, and options, whereas the former limits fishing to around a public access point and near the shore. Additional limitations occur with substrate composition, sudden depth increases, potential slips and falls, wetness, cold water, and overhanging branches.
But, unlike boating, wading provides a much more “intimate” connection with the lake environment. I enjoy that challenge. The fishing kit is also simple and light compared to the gear used in boats. Finally, wader fishing in the fall can be quite productive if properly executed!
I enter the water armed with my ultralight spinning rod and a #2 Mepps spinner. The latter is my “secret weapon”: the blade design allows the lure to be retrieved at a slower speed. That gives a bit more time for the (cold) trout to react to the passing spinner. I also cut off one of the hooks, and flatten the barb on one of the two remaining hooks, to limit damage to the fish.
Results of Wader Fishing for Trout on Center Pond
The sun never came out but that didn’t seem to bother the brookies.
I start fan casting my lure to the right of the launch area looking for a customer. I have been at it for 15 minutes without success when a splashy rise to my left catches my eye. Mm, fish are feeding in that direction. I have learned, through hard trial and error, to pay close attention when surface activity occurs in the fall. It means that fish are present and that the general area where the rise occurred should be carefully investigated.
I start moving to my left and soon hook a big, feisty male brook trout that gives me a hard fight on the ultralight rod. Yes, that is a fantastic feeling! I then see several more rises further out to my left. So, I keep wading and casting in that general direction towards a marshy area. The strategy works because I hook and land another 3 brook trout over the next 45 minutes.
It has been a fun hour of successful fishing in my waders and responding to signals sent by the resident trout. I unfortunately need to move on. But I leave a happy and satisfied angler.
The outcome of wader fishing for trout on Center Pond: I caught 4 brook trout (largest = 14.5 inches) in 1 hour of fun 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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