Ice fishing for trout on Snows Pond, ME

 

December 16, 2023

Location and Access to Snows Pond

Where is Snows Pond Located?

This 21-acre water body is found in Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 32 B2). My goal this morning is ice fishing for trout on Snows Pond.

Access

To reach this location, drive north towards Sebec Lake on Route 153 (Greeley’s Landing Road) from downtown Dover-Foxcroft for a mile or so and turn left on Snows Pond Road. Drive down that dirt road for 200-300 yards, and pass the Piscataquis Valey Snowmobile Club clubhouse until you reach the pond.

I do not know if or how well the town plows Snows Pond Road in the winter. That is not an issue this morning because the ground is free of snow.

Also, if the conditions allow it, anglers can drive their vehicles right up to the edge of the pond. They can then set up their traps along the shoreline and watch them from the comfort of their warm automobiles!

Snows Pond Features, Stocking, Depth Profile, and Fishing Regulations

General Characteristics

Snows Pond is a shallow impoundment infested with small pickerel. It is also overgrown with aquatic vegetation in the summer. A lack of development along its shoreline gives it an attractive remote feel.

This pond represents your typical “put and take” brook trout fishery, i.e., it is unable to support a year-round trout population because of competing species, lack of spawning habitat, and overheated water in the summer.

But it provides adequate water quality conditions during fall, winter, and spring to allow for a seasonal brook trout fishery maintained exclusively by annual stocking. Remember that such ponds are typically hit early and hard by the local ice fishing aficionados. Hence, these waters are fished out in a matter of weeks. So, it is a good idea to visit them early in the winter to ensure success.

Annual Stocking

The state released 100 13-inch brook trout in October, which yields a stocking density of five fish per acre, each weighing about one pound. That is not a ton of brookies but enough to pique my interest.

Depth Profile

The pond has a mean and maximum depth of 4 ft. and 8 ft., respectively. That makes it really shallow! Click here for a depth map and more fisheries data.

That shallow depth provides a bonus right now, especially after last week’s heavy rain and recent warm conditions. I am looking for safe ice. A shallow pond will more easily provide those conditions early in the season.

Fishing Regulations

The pond is open to ice fishing as soon as the ice is safe to walk on. Also, anglers can use live baitfish, and the daily bag limit for brook trout is two fish. Click here for all the applicable regulations pertaining to Snows Pond.

Ice Fishing for Trout on Snows Pond

Arrival and Conditions

I arrive at Snows Pond at 7:15 am. Two pickup trucks are already parked right up against the shoreline. Half a dozen people are keeping warm inside and watching their tip-ups. We greed each other and chat. I am glad to hear that the ice is a safe 6 inches thick. However, these guys have only caught two pickerel so far. That does not sound too promising…

I fetch my gear and put on my cleats before walking over the glare ice to the opposite shoreline. That is where I’m setting up shop this morning.

The air temperature is a pleasant 36°F, but a biting wind blowing in from the northwest generates a distinct windchill. The rising sun will provide little warmth later this morning.

Technique for Ice Fishing for Trout on Snows Pond

I drill four holes in water 3 ft. to 6 ft. deep and deploy four traps baited with small shiners placed about midway down the water column. A flag goes up when I set up the fourth trap. Great, that’s always a good sign. The line slants sideways when I reach the hole but no longer comes off the spool. The baitfish is gone. I rebait and start drilling a dozen jigging holes all around the area.

Results of Ice Fishing for Trout on Snows Pond

That one trap goes off again as I am auguring my jigging holes. This time, the spool is turning, and I connect with a fish when I set the hook. I bring in a little pickerel. Ugh, I hope that I will not catch any more of those toothy critters. They consume baitfish and are of no interest to me…

I start jigging using a tiny 1-inch yellow-orange colored airplane jig. Pinning a baitfish head to the back hook adds an important visual and olfactory dimension to the lure.

I have been jigging for only a few minutes when I get a bite and a hookup, and tussle with a 13-inch brookie. Wonderful! I continue jigging with renewed hope but do not get another jig bite over the next hour. And I only generate one more flag which yields another small pickerel. Damn…

I do experience a fantastic 30-minute feeding frenzy starting at 9:15 am when I get seven flags and land another four small pickerels. The flag activity is fun but does not generate the intended results.

Then ALL action abruptly stops. I keep up with the jigging but generate no new customers. The fish are lockjawed. It is now 10:30 am, the sun is blazing high up in the sky, nothing is happening, and I am ready to call it good.

One Last Brookie

I walk around gathering up my gear and pulling traps when the flag goes up on one of the two remaining deployed tip-ups. It must be another f#@&king pickerel. The spool is quickly spinning when I arrive. I do not hesitate and set the hook. An angry reaction erupts at the other end, and I am thrilled to fight and land a nice 14-inch brookie! Wow, I caught that one literally at the last minute!

I leave a happy angler because I caught my limit (both released back to the water) and enjoyed my morning.

The outcome of ice fishing for trout on Snows Pond: I caught two brookies (largest = 14 inches) and half a dozen small pickerel in 3 hours of fun 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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