August 12, 2025
A gorgeous view of First Davis Pond from the boat launch. And, oh, that is another reason for calling it the Golden Hour!
Location and access to First Davis Pond
Where is First Davis Pond Located?
This 128-acre water body occurs in Guilford, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 31 B5). My goal this morning is trolling for trout on First Davis Pond.
Access and Boat Launch
To reach this pond from Guilford, drive north on Route 150 (Blaine Avenue) and turn right on Davis Pond Road. Drive for 0.3 miles until you reach the public boat launch located on the western side of the pond. The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer does not show this access point.
The cement launch can accommodate trailered boats, but is sandwiched between two properties. Parking is very limited to two – maybe three – vehicles with trailers. It is not possible to turn a vehicle with a trailer in that limited space without entering one or the other adjacent private properties.
The alternative is to back up several hundred feet to where the short road to the launch splits off from Davis Pond Road and turn over there. Keep those limitations in mind when planning a fishing trip at this location.
Fortunately, that is not my problem this morning because I am fishing from my canoe.
I am not here to catch fat white perch. However, this fish tells me that I have targeted the right depth.
First Davis Pond Features, Stocking, Thermocline, Depth Profile, and Angling Regulations
General Characteristics
First Davis Pond is moderately developed, mostly along its western shoreline. Several wooded hills along the eastern horizon provide nice views from the water. I used my special approach to identify this place as a target for catching salmon and trout in the summer.
Annual Stocking
The State stocks this pond every year with three species of salmonids, namely landlocked salmon (1.5 fish per acre), splake (2 fish per acre), and brook trout (5.5 fish per acre). That is quite a selection.
Thermocline
A key parameter for success when targeting salmonids in the summer is to identify the depth of the thermocline and determine its oxygen status.
Unfortunately, the Lakes of Maine website only provides August water quality data for a single sampling event that occurred on this pond in 2018. The thermocline that year occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 13 to 20 ft. Its temperature ranged from 74 F at the top to 60 F at the bottom, but with a severe oxygen deficiency towards the 20 ft.
Assuming that this pattern applies across years suggests that all the salmon and trout living in this pond are forced to swim in the upper half of the thermocline in August to find cooler water with enough oxygen.
For me, it means that I need to be careful how deep I place my lures to avoid fishing in water a) that is cool but oxygen deficient and therefore devoid of fish, and b) that contains enough oxygen but is too warm and therefore devoid of salmonids.
Depth Profile
The pond has a mean and maximum depth of 22 ft. and 54 ft., making it relatively deep for its size. Click here for a depth map and more (dated) fisheries information.
I printed out the depth map and circled the area of 25+ ft. of depth which represents my hunting grounds for this morning.
Fishing Rules
Anglers can fish this location under the North Zone rules. However, the pond is also open to ice fishing, live bait is allowed, and the daily bag limit on trout is two fish, with a keeper minimum length of 12 inches, and only one keeper fish may exceed 14 inches. I like the latter rule because it means that this pond may grow larger trout. Click here for additional rules.
This largemouth bass had me fooled: it fought hard and low and never jumped out of the water, just like a trout…
Trolling for Trout on First Davis Pond
Arrival and Conditions
I pull in at the First Davis Pond boat launch at 5:15 am with the goal of fishing the “Golden Hour”. It represents the early-morning period stretching from 30 minutes before sunrise (occurring at 5:35 am this morning) until about an hour after sunrise during which light levels are low and predators are actively chasing baitfish for breakfast.
The air temperature is a pleasant 65°F and the wind is absent, which makes for easy paddling.
Technique for Trolling for Trout on First Davis Pond
Lead core line (instead of using a down rigger) is the technique of choice this morning since I am trolling from my canoe and need both hands to paddle. I use three diminutive, smelt-imitating Mooselook Wobbler spoons tied to each other back-to-back based on the reported presence of rainbow smelt.
I lower the lures three full colors (about 15-17 ft. below the surface) down after paddling out to my target depth, and place the fly rod between my legs. A fish grabs one of the lures and gets hooked within 15 minutes. That is a fantastic sign given my anxieties about fishing the correct depth on this pond.
The Lures are Fishing at the Correct Depth
The fish is hard-fighting and tenacious. It turns out to be a big, fat white perch. I do not care to catch this species but am nonetheless impressed with its fighting abilities. This catch also puts me at ease. It confirms two important points: a) the lures are working, and b) they are not placed too deep in oxygen-depleted water.
Over the next hour or so, I get three more hits which yield another white perch and a largemouth bass. These two species often appear when trolling at depth in the summer (click here, here, here, and here for examples). Active feeding also typically ends once the sun climbs in the sky. And this morning is no different. The bites stops around 6:30 am, which represents the end of the Golden Hour. Darn it, and I did not catch any salmonids…
It took a lot of paddling, but I finally caught the salmonid I was aiming for.
Results of Fishing for Trout on First Davis Pond
Now would be a good time to switch to a new set of lures. But I decide to stick with the current ones since they clearly attracted much attention earlier this morning. Also, sticking to the same trolling depth makes sense because I do not want to place my lures higher up in warmer water or lower down in oxygen-deficient water…
I traverse the 25+ ft. area of First Davis Pond back and forth but find no new customers. Despair is starting to set in when I suddenly get a hit and hookup at 7:15 am. Yes, finally!! Hopefully, the fish has an adipose fin, which turns out to be the case when it reaches the surface and shows itself to be a skinny brook trout. This fish is not well fed, but counts. I take pictures and let it go.
My butt is hurting and my legs are stiff from sitting and paddling for the last two hours trolling for trout on First Davis Pond. However, I stick around for another 45 minutes in the hope of more action. Unfortunately, that is not the case. I return back to the boat launch, anxious to get up and do some walking… However, I consider this morning a success: I had action and caught one of my target salmonid species. Life is good indeed.
I fished all morning with these three diminutive smelt-imitating Mooselook Wobbler spoons.
The results: I caught one brook trout (14 inches), two white perch, and one largemouth bass in 3 hours of 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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