August 3, 2025
View of the boat launch. This picture does not do justice to the steepness of the short boat ramp!
Location and Access to Parker Pond
Where is Parker Pond?
This 1,524-acre water body is found in Fayette, Kennebec County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 A2). My goal this morning is trolling for salmon on Parker Pond.
Access and Boat Launch
The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer does not show a public access point on this lake. However, the far northeastern corner of the lake, off Tower Roadon, provides access for small, trailered boats.
Beware that this launch is horrible: narrow, short, very steep, and consisting of half asphalt-half flat boulders. It is clear from the numerous scratches in the asphalt that lots of trailers have been scraped going down and coming up the ramp.
The water by the launch is also shallow, requiring to back up a little ways into the lake before the boat can float off the trailer. I would be cautious launching at this location without a four-wheel drive vehicle because it may be difficult to pull the boat out of the water and up the steep incline without the extra assist. Fortunately, Tower Road is only lightly traveled, which allows one to maneuver properly to get the boat in and out.
It is wind still this morning but the sky is filled with smokey haze.
Parker Pond Features, Stocking, Thermocline, Depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
Parker Pond shows moderate development. The lake is also surrounded by multiple forested, low-elevation hills. This water body is graced by a dozen and a half wooded islands and a bouldery shoreline. I like the whole vibe!
The pond looks roughly like an inverted “Y”, with a shorter leg on the right side, and a much longer leg on the left side.
I used my special approach to identify this place as a target for catching landlocked salmon in the summer.
Annual Stocking
The State stocks this lake each fall with 250 to 300 young salmon. That results in an ultra sparse stocking density of about one fish every 5 acres. I am not expecting fireworks… It also gets 300 to 500 brookies annually, but those fish are not my target this morning.
Where is the Thermocline?
A key parameter when trolling for salmon in the summer is to identify the depth of the thermocline and determine its oxygen status.
The multi-year temperature and oxygen data published by Lakes of Maine show that the thermocline in this lake occurs 25 to 30 ft. deep in late July-early August. The temperature at the bottom of the thermocline is in the mid-to high 50’s, with oxygen levels at or above 7 parts per million (ppm). These conditions are perfect for salmon. The oxygen levels below the thermocline fall below 7 ppm and are more stressful to this species. I will therefore place my lures 27 to 30 ft. down.
I specifically look for this particular summer feature, i.e., depressed oxygen levels below the thermocline, because it “concentrates” the salmonid in a relatively narrow band of cool water which makes it easier to target them this time of year. Keep in mind that this trolling depth can decrease as the summer progresses and the oxygen deficiency works its way up the water column. Hence, anglers may have to place their the lures higher in the water column in two-three-four weeks from now to remain in oxygenated (but potentially warmer) water. The only way to find out for sure is to review the water quality data from Lakes of Maine.
Depth Profile
The lake has a mean and maximum depth of 31 ft. and 76 ft., respectively, making it relatively deep. Click here for a depth map. I need to stay over water 40+ ft. deep when trolling so that my lures do not get stuck on the bottom. The depth map shows several deep bowls in the upper half of the lake, interspersed by shallower (< 30 ft. deep) areas, and one large, contiguous deep bowl located in the longer leg of the lake. These are my two trolling areas for this morning.
Fishing Regulations
Angling in the summer at this location falls under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone. Click here for the full regulations applicable to Parker Pond.
The first hit is from a smallmouth bass feeding 30 ft. deep!
Trolling for Salmon on Parker Pond
Arrival and Conditions
I stumble out of bed ridiculously early with the goal of reaching Parker Pond at 5:30 am to fish the early-morning “golden hour” before the sun floods the water with its harsh light. I am behind schedule and start fishing around 6 am.
The air temperature is a relatively cool 55°F and the temperature of the water at the surface is 75°F. It is essentially wind-still. The atmosphere is noticeably hazy due to excessive smoke from on-going forest fires in next-door Quebec. In fact, all morning long the sky remains a dull grey, even though the sun is blazing and the sky lacks any clouds.
Technique for Trolling for Salmon on Parker Pond
I apply my usual summer technique when trolling from a motorboat. One component is lead core line on an 8-weight fly fishing rod with three Parsons Tom one-hook smelt-imitating streamer flies tied back to back. The second component consists of a portable downrigger with a spinning rod fishing with three differently-colored DB Smelt spoons tied back-to-back. The fish can choose from six lures!
Results of Fishing for Salmon on Parker Pond
I start fishing the deep areas in the upper half of the lake. A fish provides a ferocious hit on the lead core within less than 10 minutes. Wow, that’s great! Unfortunately, the fish announces itself as a smallmouth bass when it breaches the surface within 10 seconds. On the other hand, salmon seldom jump out of the water in the summer, unlike their well-known aerial acrobatics in the spring and fall, because the surface water is too warm.
The bass gives a splendid fight, but it is not the reason I am here this morning. Regardless, this fish confirms that the water is well oxygenated 30 ft. down. The potential for low oxygen is always a concern when trolling that deep in the summer.
I also struggle with the irregular bottom and the presence of the submerged mounds in this general area of the lake. The depth goes from 50 ft. to 20 ft. over short distances. I must constantly scramble to bring up the downrigger weight to prevent it – or the lures – from getting stuck on the bottom.
I loose my three DB Smelt spoons to the bottom at some point and decide to eliminate the downrigger. It is easier to handle the uneven bottom just with the lead core line. But I am still constantly in water 25 ft. deep or less, which is not where I need to be to catch salmon.
It took a lot of effort to catch this little salmon, but I am glad not to go home skunked.
Where are the salmon?
I give up on this area after 2 hours of frustrating fishing and instead motor down to the one large, contiguous deep bowl located in the longer leg of Parker Pond. This area is much more to my liking because it is uniformly deep and lacks the annoying mounds that come up off the bottom. I keep the Parsons Tom flies but swap out the spoons two different times because they are not working for me this morning…
I finally get a hit and a hookup on one of the streamer flies around 9:15 am. This time, the fish fights low and hard without breaking the surface. Ahah, that is a salmon! I efficiently net the fish to limit its exposure to the warm water. A quick photo and the fish is released to fight another day.
I feel reinvigorated. My hope is for more fish where this one came from. But, alas, that is the one and only hit in two hours of non-stop trolling in that area of the lake.
I call it good at 10 am, after trolling for salmon on Parker Pond for over 3 hours. I am glad that my cross-verification method has fulfilled its promise, but frustrated that the bite was so slow. This type of technical fishing requires more attention to details but yields results if properly executed.
The results: I caught one landlocked salmon and one smallmouth bass in 4 hours of slow 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.
~ ~ ~ ~ ><« ({(« º >
