Look for the Kinsley Pines Camp sign next to Coughlan Cove Road. The foot path up to Nubble Pond starts on the other side of Plains Road.
Nubble Pond covers 23 acres and is located in Raymond, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2). To reach this destination, drive down Meadow Road (Route 121), turn onto Plains Road, and drive for 1.0 mile to the red-and-white Kingsley Pines Camp sign next to Coughlan Cove Road. The wide foot trail to the pond starts by large blocking boulders on the opposite side of the road from that sign and runs parallel to the pond’s outlet. It takes about 5 minutes walking (one-way) to reach the put-in at the southern tip of the pond. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location. Plenty of parking is available along the shoulder on Plains Road.
This first fish tells me that the brookies are suspending in water 12-15 ft. down below.
Nubble Pond is a small but scenic little gem hidden away just to the north of Panther Pond. It is lightly developed and surrounded by a mostly intact riparian shoreline. The foot access ensures that it is only lightly fished. The pond has clean and clear water. It was stocked with 100 10-inch brook trout for the first time in over a decade in the spring of 2024 and then again with 25 12-inch brookies in the fall of 2024, for a relatively sparse stocking density of about 4 fish per acre per year. It received another batch of 100 10-inch brookies last week. I review the sparse (and ancient) water temperature and dissolved oxygen data for this pond presented in Lakes of Maine. This information shows that it experiences a severe oxygen deficiency 10 to 12 ft. below the surface in the summer. It is unclear if any trout could survive the low oxygen/high water temperatures prevalent during the hot summer months and grow year-over-year. If not, then the largest brook trout in this pond would measure about 14 inches, representing the fish stocked last fall that have grown another inch or two over the ensuing eight months. Angling at this location occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone except that a) ice fishing is forbidden, and b) only artificial lures can be used. The pond is remarkably deep for its small size, with a mean and maximum depth of 20 ft. and 37 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and (dated) fisheries information. I note that this pond supports rainbow smelt. I suspect that these bait fish originated from nearby Panther Pond and swam up the outlet during past spring spawning migrations.
I wish the brookies had more size to them…
I arrive at the head of the trail on Plains Road at 9 am. I push off 25 minutes later eager to explore Nubble Pond. The weather is quite nice, with the air temperature in the low 70’s, partial sunshine, and a light breeze. The water temperature is 67°F, which is relatively warm but still well within the acceptable range for brook trout. I come prepared to either fly fish using dry flies or troll with lead core line using two small trout spoons tied back-to-back. I start trolling over 10 ft. of water with the spoons placed 5 ft. below the surface. I keep my eyes open for bugs on the water or any rises. I have to paddle right up against the shoreline because my portable fish finder shows that the depth increases abruptly away from shore. I paddle around the pond twice over the next hour, see no bugs or any rises, and only catch two pickerel (17” and 19” long) that would gladly eat stocked brookies! I need to change my game plan… Overall, the conditions today are quite similar to those I experienced on Bowler Pond in Waldo County in mid-May. I decide to apply here the lessons I learned two weeks ago: skip the shallows and instead troll for brook trout that may be suspending in the water column 12 to 15 ft. deep over 25+ ft. of water.
That is the largest fish I dredged up this morning. I suspect that bigger ones may be swimming down there but I need to come back to prove it 🙂
I am unsure if this “summer pattern” is applicable yet but the change in tactics bears fruit. Over the next hour, I get six hits, hook five trout, and land four of them. Unfortunately, all the fish are the recently-stocked 10-inch brookies. Regardless, it is satisfying to see that applying an unorthodox approach (i.e., deep trolling even though it is still spring) is the way to go. It shows the need to remain flexible and willing to deviate from the expected, namely that brook trout only forage in shallow water along the shoreline in spring. These brookies are clearly chasing bait at depth! I leave a satisfied angler at 11:30 am. I am still curious about the potential for year-over-year brook trout survival at this location and make a mental note to return at a later date to continue my investigation 🙂
The results: I caught four brook trout (largest = 11 inches) in 2.5 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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