Footpath leading from the road to Schoolhouse Pond
Schoolhouse Pond is a 21-acre body of water located in Livermore Falls, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 A1). Drive north on Campground Road (off Route 133) and keep Jug Hill Road to your left. The pond will appear through the trees on the right. Look for a foot path through the woods about 0.1 mile or so after passing Jug Hill Road. Park the car on the grassy shoulder next to the foot path. The pond is 100 ft further down. I do not see “No Trespassing” signs and so assume that this way in is legit. Only small hand-carried craft, such as a canoe or kayak, can be launched from the access point.
It’s bass heaven in those broad-leafed lily pads…
Schoolhouse Pond is a little jewel tucked safely away in the northern-most part of Androscoggin County. Only one house is visible from the water. The rest of the shoreline is completely wooded. The place has a nice remote feel to it, except for the occasional car driving down Campground Road. The pond has a maximum depth of 13 ft and an average depth of 7 ft. Patches of emergent pickerel weed dot the shoreline by the road. The rest of the shallows are full of broad-leafed lily pads, the kind I like because a surface lure can swim in between the floating leaves without getting automatically stuck all the time! There’s little other structure to hold largemouth bass. The water is darkly stained and the substrate is soft and mucky. General fishing law applies on this pond. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
View of the Shoreline of Schoolhouse Pond
I arrive at Schoolhouse Pond around 4 pm. The weather conditions are just splendid this afternoon: full sunshine, mid 70’s, and a light breeze. It’s just another fantastic late August summer day in Maine! I launch my canoe and am immediately impressed by the surroundings. I have the pond all to myself and the landscape is beautiful. What a find this one is!! I fish with a big buzzbait (a great “search” lure) and a 5” soft stickbait. I cast along the outside edges of the pickerel week and the lily pads, and in open spaces within the lily pads. The pond does not disappoint this afternoon. I catch three 12”-14” largemouth bass in about 30 minutes. It is striking how all three fish are darkly colored, which is not a surprise given the deeply stained water they live in.
A Schoolhouse Pond bass that fell for a soft stickbait
I have one more pond to check out before the day is over, so I paddle back to shore after catching my third bass and move on. But I am mighty pleased to have found this little gem. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to fish for largemouth bass alone and in quietness. This pond is a keeper and should be on your list of places to visit.
The results: I caught three 12”-14”largemouth bass in 30 minutes of fishing.
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