The public access point to Pettingill Pond is unobstrusive and unmarked.
February 10, 2018
Location and Access to Pettingill Pond
Where is Pettingill Pond Located?
This 42-acre water body is found next to Route 302 in Windham, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). My goal this morning is ice fishing on Pettingill Pond for brown trout.
Access and Boat Launch
The public access can be tricky to find under the snow in the winter. While driving on Route 302 in Windham (direction Raymond and Naples, i.e., north), turn right on Anglers Road at the traffic light just passed Bob’s Seafood Restaurant. Then, go down that road for 0.4 miles and look for house #48.
The access point will be to your left immediately past that house (and across from house #51). However, it is not indicated by any signs. Also, you have gone too far if you reach Mud Pond Road.
Note that Anglers Road is busy, potholed, and twisty. Anglers are not allowed to park their vehicles either by the access point or anywhere on Anglers Road. Therefore, Route 302 is the closest area to leave a vehicle.
General view of Pettingill Pond. The entire shoreline is built up.
Pettingill Pond Features, Stocking, Depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
This pond is one of the most-developed bodies of water I have encountered in my many years of fishing across Maine. Several hundred houses and cabins sit cheek by jowl around the entire shoreline and behind it. It is also located within earshot of the busy Windham business district on Route 302. So, do not expect any privacy. Yet, for those in the know, this hidden gem can produce some really nice browns….
It also supports other fish species, including largemouth bass, pickerel, and yellow perch. In my experience, the bass tend to be on the smaller size.
Annual Stocking
The State stocks this pond each fall with around 2 brown trout per acre. That represents the highest brown trout stocking rate (on a “per acre” basis) in the whole of Cumberland County!
Depth Profile
The pond has a mean and maximum depth 12 ft. and 29 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
Fishing Regulations
The ice fishing rules fall under the general law provisions for the South Zone. Click here to obtain the full fishing rules applicable to Pettingill Pond.
The first brown trout out of Pettingill Pond this morning measures 18″
Ice Fishing on Pettingill Pond
Arrival and Conditions
I’m walking unto Pettingill Pond at 6:20 am. The ice is 16” thick with 7” of fluffy snow on top. The weather is perfect for ice fishing: temps in the high 20’s, no wind, completely overcast, with a low pressure coming our way for later today. One can’t ask for better conditions.
Technique for Ice Fishing on Pettingill Pond
My game plan this morning is to deploy three traps along the shoreline for brown trout and one trap off-shore for largemouth bass, plus drill multiple holes along the shoreline for jigging.
I stumble, quite by accident, on the ideal brown trout habitat, i.e., a shallow shelf (< 5 ft) along the shoreline coupled with a very steep drop-off (down to 15 ft). Hence, I place three baited hooks along that drop-off about half-way down the water column in 6 ft, 9 ft, and 12 ft of water.
Results of Ice Fishing on Pettingill Pond
I get my first flag of the morning at 7:15 am at the shallowest location. The spool turns slowly and hesitantly but there’s definitely a fish at the other end. I therefore set the hook and feel strong resistance. My day is made when an 18” brown trout pokes its head through the hole and plops on the ice. Yes!
I take a bragging picture and send it to my son Joel. He calls me back soon after to tell me that he wants a piece of that action. He’s coming over with his son Giovani.
Giovani’s first-ever brown trout. It took the efforts of three people to get it on the ice. The smiles tell it all!
They both arrive at Pettingill Pond at 9 am. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a single nibble on my jig and only one bass flag on my off-shore trap since the call. We decide to deploy the 10 extra traps over deep water (15 to 25 ft) with the baitfish placed 2 ft off the bottom to search for bass and perch. Also, all the flags will be Giovani’s to tend.
Geovani’s Brown Trout
And then nothing happens for the next 1.5 hours… It seems like the fish have gone into hibernation! It’s approaching 11 am when one of the deep-water flags finally goes off. Giovani does all the trap and line handling but fails to properly set the hook, thereby missing the fish. I see the disappointment etched on his face.
But five minutes later, the flag in the 6 ft-deep on-shore trap, the same one that produced the 18” brown earlier today, goes off. Oooh, I like that! As we run up to it, Giovani asks me to set the hook for him. The spool is slowly turning when we reach the hole. I don’t hesitate, set the hook, and feel hard resistance at the other end.
I pass the line to him and he skillfully plays the fish, letting go of line three times as it takes long runs. This is not a baby fish but another bigger brown trout!! The line suddenly breaks as Giovani tries too quickly to pull the fish out of the hole. Joel, who has joined us, does not hesitate and dives both of his hands in the hole to scoop the fish out! We are all in awe of this beautiful 20” brown trout.
A Real Memory Maker!
Giovani grins from ear to ear. He also makes an astute observation on our way back to the car. He remarks that it took three people to catch his first brown trout ever: him, his daddy, and his grampy. OMG, who says that fishing is only about catching fish?? It is as much about making deep family connections and life-long memories…
The outcome of ice fishing on Pettingill Pond: We landed two brown trout (18” and 20”) in 4.5 hours of slow ice 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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