The dirt boat launch is unimproved, but wide. It also provides lots of parking space.
August 2, 2024
Location and Access to Stearns Pond
Where is Stearns Pond Located?
This 255-acre water body is found in Sweden, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 E3). My goal this morning is trolling for trout on Stearns Pond.
Access and Boat Launch
To access this pond, turn off Route 93 (Waterford Road) unto Hardscrabble Road. Drive for about 1 mile and turn left on Wint Road. Then drive for <0.2 miles before turning left on Town Landing Road.
The unimproved boat launch is located at the end of this short gravel road. The launch area provides plenty of parking space.
One great benefit of fishing the “Golden Hour” in early morning is the quietness. The lake was all mine except for a paddle boarder and kayaker.
Stearns Pond Features, Stocking, Thermocline, Depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
Stearns Pond is quite pretty! It is moderately developed. Multiple deeply forested hills surround the area. I identified this location using my “secret sauce” search strategy.
Annual Stocking
The State stocks this pond each fall with 250 12- to 14-inch brown trout. That effort yields a sparse stocking density of about 1 trout per acre per year. This number is a typical value for this species in Maine. Hence, I am not expecting “fast fishing” this morning…
The Thermocline
As part of my pre-trip homework, I also checked the temperature and oxygen data for this pond to determine the depth of the thermocline. Lakesofmaine.org provides this information for free.
The data show that Stearns Pond has a strong warm-to-cold water transition layer (i.e., a thermocline) located between (roughly) 12 to 18 ft. below the surface in early August. During certain summers, the lower half of that thermocline may also have a mild oxygen deficiency. However, the cold water below this thermocline experiences a moderate oxygen deficiency during that period which limits its usefulness to the trout.
I seek this specific feature when selecting a pond to troll in the summer. The reason is that all the brown trout living in this pond are essentially forced to stay within the thermocline between July and September. They are unable to spend any time in the oxygen-rich but overheated water above, or in the cold but oxygen-poor water below. Hence, that makes it much easier to target them this time of the year. It also removes much of the guesswork out of the catch equation!
Depth Profile
This pond has a mean and maximum depth of 27 ft. and 47 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more (dated) fisheries information. Before leaving home, I printed out this map and circled the 25-foot depth contour. The 25+ foot depth area, which is most of the pond, will be my fishing grounds this morning. Now I waste no time knowing where to go after I launch my boat!
Fishing Regulations for trolling for Trout on Stearns Pond
Open-water fishing occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the South Zone. Anglers can also fish Stearns Pond between October 1 and November 30, but using artificial lures only. In addition, they must release all trout alive and at once during this period. Click here for the full regulations applicable to this pond..
Bass in the summer will forage deep down into the thermocline (click here, here, and here for other examples).
Trolling for Trout on Stearns Pond
Arrival and Conditions
I reach Stearns Pond at 5:15 am and eagerly motor off 10 minutes later. Sunrise is at 5:30 am. I want to take advantage of the “Golden Hour”, which lasts from 30 minutes before sunrise until about one hour after sunrise. The light levels during this period are low and the trout actively chase bait for breakfast.
It is a warm and humid 70°F, with temps forecast to rise into the uncomfortable low 90’s later today. It is also wind still with a cloudless sky.
Technique for Trolling for Trout on Stearns Pond
I troll using lead core line to place my lures in the thermocline. My pre-trip research indicates that the brown trout in this pond feed heavily on the abundant local rainbow smelt population. So, my first set of lures consists of three 2-inch silver-and-neon blue Phoebe trout spoons tied back-to-back and placed about 17 ft. below the surface.
I turn on my depth finder when I reach my hunting grounds and am amazed to observe multiple bait balls on my screen located 16 to 20 ft. below the surface, each one with one or more large fish on top of them! I’ll be damned. It is so satisfying to see when all the math adds up!
I troll within the area of the pond with the bait balls and have yet to get a hit 30 minutes later… Darn, these Phoebe spoons are not working for me this morning. Using my typical practice, I swap out the three spoons and replace them with three small one-hook Grey and Blue Ghost smelt-imitating streamer flies. I have learned over the years that it is important to take the effort to switch out lures that do not work in order to find the ones that will!
The last minute miracle fish!
Results of Fishing for Trout on Stearns Pond
I have been trolling for no more than 10 minutes using the new streamer flies when I suddenly get hooked on the bottom. Wait a minute… The bottom is 37 ft. down; that just cannot be. Then I feel the resistance. OMG, I hooked a huge fish!!
The creature shakes its head sideways once, twice, three times and then pop… the fly unhooks and the line goes limp. NOOO!!! This was a big one… But the signal is unmistakable: I am at the right depth and fishing with the right lures.
I get a hookup 15 minutes later but quickly realize that I am fighting a bass when the fish jumps clear out of the water. Ten minutes later: a third hookup with a short fight followed by another unhooking. Shoot, I am missing too many opportunities this morning!
And then everything goes quiet: the bait balls disperse, and the bite stops. The Golden Hour is over… The sun keeps rising in the sky, flooding the area with its harsh light. I continue trolling for another 1.5 hour but fail to elicit any interest to my offerings down below.
The Miracle Fish!
It is now 8 am and time to head back home and start my workday. I tidy up my boat, put everything in its proper place, pack up my portable depth finder, and pick up my fly fishing rod to bring in the lead core line. And then the miracle happens: I get a strong hit as soon as I reel in the line. Whaaat?
I fight a substantial fish which doggedly stays low and rips line off my reel. And sure enough: I hooked a nice 21-inch brown trout which gets netted, photographed, and quickly released.
Keep in mind that trolling for salmonids in summer can be stressful to the fish on account of them struggling in water at temperatures that fall outside of their thermal comfort zone. So, if you are a catch-and-release angler as I am, it is a good habit to fish early in the morning and speed up the process of fighting, netting, and photographing the fish.
Well, I am fully satisfied with my experiences on Stearns Pond this morning and am driving back home a very happy angler.
The outcome of trolling for trout on Stearns Pond: I caught one largemouth bass and one brown trout (21 inches) in 3 hours of quiet trolling.
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.
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2 thoughts on “Trolling for trout on Stearns Pond, ME”
I’ve been reading for years and I truly look forward to every post! Thank you!!
Thank you for sticking around! I hope that my blogs give you inspiration to explore waters that you otherwise might not have fished in the past. I have found out that with some creativity and perseverance, the fishing opportunities in Maine are truly endless! Tight lines.