Those colors…!
November 7, 2019
Location and Access to Otter Pond #2
Where is Otter Pond #2 Located?
This 12-acre water body is found off Route 35 in Standish, Cumberland, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D1). My goal today is fishing for trout on Otter Pond #2.
Access
To reach this location, drive down Route 35 (Chadborne Road) towards the southern tip of Sebago Lake. The parking area for the Otter Ponds is located just to the north of the Route 35 bridge that crosses over the unused railroad tracks. On the other side of that bridge is the even larger parking lot for the Johnson Field athletic grounds.
After you park in the ponds parking lot, do not forget to fill out the short form provided at the little wooden kiosk, and leave a copy on your vehicle’s dashboard. It takes less than a minute to complete the requested information and provides a way for the Sebago Lake Land Preserve to keep track of day usage.
From the parking lot, walk down towards the old railroad tracks, turn left, and walk for less than 10 minutes next to those tracks. Your target pond will be the last one on your right.
This female is full of eggs.
Otter Pond #2 Features, Stocking, Depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
Otter Pond #2 and I are old acquaintances, having met many times over the years. The pond is one of four gravel pits abandoned eons ago that have filled up with crystal-clear groundwater. The whole surrounding area is wooded and completely undeveloped.
The entire shoreline of Otter Pond #2 is accessible by foot. However, waders are an absolute must if you want to reach some of the juicier spots strung out along the western and southern shore because the banks in those areas are steep and/or obstructed with bushes and branches. Fortunately, these entanglements go away as soon as one steps in the water.
The pond’s substrate along the whole shoreline is carpeted with dead leaves in the fall, but is otherwise firm, gravelly, and safe.
The easiest access to the water is right by the old railroad tracks that run along the entire northern shore of the pond. But I avoid that area altogether because the water over there gets deep very quickly and does not hold many trout in the fall.
Annual Stocking
Earlier this fall, the state stocked 600 8” brookies (= 50 trout per acre) and 130 13” brookies (= 11 trout per acre), which add up to a lot of fish!
Depth Profile
Otter Pond #2 has a mean and maximum depth of 11 ft and 39 ft, respectively. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
Fishing Regulations
This little gem is available for open-water fishing in the fall between October 1 and November 30. However, anglers can only use artificial lures (i.e., no live or dead baitfish, no worms, no preserved salmon eggs, etc.). Also, they have to release all trout at once and alive. Click here for the full rules applicable to this pond.
The bronze-colored #2 Mepps was the secret lure this morning.
Fishing for Trout on Otter Pond #2
Arrival and Conditions
I reach the parking lot at 6 am and fill out the access permit by the kiosk.
The weather is wonderful this morning: mostly overcast with a gentle breeze and air temps in the high 30’s. The water temp feels in the mid-40’s. In addition, a low pressure is moving into the Gulf of Maine later on this afternoon, bringing rain, snow, and cold to the region. In my experience, fishing is always better ahead of such conditions!
I don my waders and quickly walk down the tracks until I reach the western shore of Otter Pond #2. I turn right as soon as I reach the water and start fishing the western shoreline.
Another big female full of eggs.
Technique for Fishing for Trout on Otter Pond #2
I use an ultralight spinning rod, a small reel spooled with 6-pound monofilament line, and a #2 Mepps spinner. That is a light-weight but deadly combination… I also cut off the third hook of the treble and flatten the barb on one of the two remaining hooks. These small changes make it easy to remove the lure and minimize damage to the fish.
I spend the next two hours focusing on a 200-ft stretch of shore where the trout seem to be stacked up and eager to bite. I use two tricks to enhance my odds of catching more fish, namely: (a) let the lure sink close to the bottom, and (b) repeatedly cast the lure to the same general area after catching a brookie.
The reason for the latter is that the fish appear to be swimming together in specific spots. So, where there is one trout, there are typically more.
Results of Fishing for Trout on Otter Pond #2
Over the next two hours, I land ten brook trout, and hook but miss four more! Of the ten, only one is a 8” fish; all the others measure between 12” and 14”. The males also exhibit their brilliant spawning colors.
It does not get any better than this. And I have the place all to myself! We are truly lucky to have access to such a fantastic resource.
And you know what? I rarely see anyone else fishing Otter Pond #2 in the fall, even though the trout are eager to bite…
This male brookie took the cake this morning by his size and heft!
The outcome of fishing for trout on Otter Pond #2: I caught ten brook trout (largest = 14”) in two hours of glorious spinner 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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