Geovani casting in the basin at the outlet of Charles Pond by the road. No easy pickings here today…
November 9, 2019
Location and Access to Charles Pond
Where is Charles Pond Located?
This 14-acre water body is found in Georgetown, Sagadahoc County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 7 D1). My goal this morning is fishing for trout on Charles Pond.
Access
Access is super easy because the southern tip of the pond is right next to Route 127 (Five Islands Road). Park your car along the road shoulder and walk right up to the water. However, anglers can only launch hand-carried craft from this location because the pond lacks a boat ramp.
Charles Pond Features, Stocking, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
Charles Pond occurs on one of the many peninsulas that dot this beautiful part of coastal Maine. Its entirely undeveloped and unposted shoreline makes it somewhat unique, as it lacks houses, yards, fences, or docks. Much of it is also accessible by foot.
A number of my blog readers have asked me about locations in southern and central Maine to catch trout from shore in the fall using waders and without the need for a boat or fancy electronics. In fact, Charles Pond is such a place, as are many others.
Normally, I would use my hip boots or waders to fish directly from within the water, but I’m accompanied by my 11-year old grandson Geovani. So, I’m sticking to fishing with him strictly from dry land. Enough breaks occur in the riparian vegetation along the shore to make it possible for him to fish without constantly getting tangled up in branches and bushes.
Finally, Charles Pond has proven to be an excellent early ice-fishing destination for me in the past (click here and here for examples).
Annual Stocking
The pond was stocked earlier this fall with 150 7” brookies (about 11 trout per acre) and 75 13” brookies (= about 5 trout per acre). I am eager to connect with those larger one-pounders this morning.
Depth Profile
A depth map is not available. However, the pond is quite shallow (< 7-8 ft.) as I have determined based on past fishing experiences.
Angling Rules
This little gem falls under the South Zone general fishing laws, i.e., the pond is open to ice and open-water fishing between January 1 and December 31 under the general law bag limit (i.e., two fish per day) and length limit (minimum of 6”). In addition, all legal forms of bait and artificial lures are allowed at all times. Click here for the rules.
Charles Pond is entirely undeveloped and quite pretty.
Fishing for Trout on Charles Pond
Arrival and Conditions
We arrive at the outlet of Charles Pond at 7:30 am. The morning is quite chilly (lower 20’s), with the forecast calling for full sunshine with low wind but temperatures only rising into the lower 30’s. We are dressed accordingly! As expected, we also have the whole place to ourselves.
We notice a thin layer of ice skimming the northern half of the pond, which soon melts under the rising sun. That means that the water temperature in the rest of the pond is in the mid-30’s at best. I’m not sure how willing the trout will be to chase after a darting spinner…
My first brookie of the morning, in full spawning colors!
Technique for Fishing for Trout on Charles Pond
We use our ultralight spinning rods and small reels spooled with 6-pound test monofilament to start fishing around the basin by the outlet with a fabulous #2 Mepps spinner. I removed one of the three hooks from the treble and flattened the barb on one of the two remaining hooks to minimize harm to the fish. This location is a popular spot in the fall because it is easily accessible and right next to the road.
The second brookie this morning is a ripe female.
Results of Fishing for Trout on Charles Pond
Thirty minutes of constant casting fails to yield a single hit, let alone a fish. It dashes my hopes of quickly putting Geovani on some easy trout. We are going to have to work to catch trout this morning…
We start walking upgradient along the western shoreline, hitting every open spot in the vegetation we find along the way. I finally hook and land a male brookie in spawning colors after 45 minutes, followed by a ripe female half an hour later.
Geovani feels bored by now. But he is a good sport and gets all excited when I bring in these fish. I catch a tiny 7 incher in the basin on our way back to the car.
I regret that Geovani did not get a single bite, but am nonetheless glad to have caught my target fish under less than ideal conditions. And his time will surely come!
The outcome of fishing for trout on Charles Pond: I caught 3 brook trout (largest = 13”) in 2.5 hours of cold, hard 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.
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