Tag Archives: brook trout

Fishing for brook trout on Symmes Pond in Newfield, York County, Maine (October 22, 2023)

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The public access point can accommodate small trailered boats. Note the “bowl” in the background.

 

Symmes Pond is a 36-acre body of water located in Newfield, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 A2). The public access point is located by the outlet at the eastern tip of the pond. The launch, which is found right off Route 11 (a.k.a. Water Street), is unimproved and can accommodate small, trailered boats. Limited parking is available for a few vehicles. Keep in mind not to park in front of the fire truck water intake structure to avoid a ticket or an unexpected tow…

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Keoka Lake in Waterford, Oxford County, Maine (October 17, 2023)

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I locate the school of brookies about 150 ft to the left of the boat launch

 

Keoka Lake is a 467-acre body of water located in Waterford, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 D4). A cement boat launch is located on Route 35 on the western side of the lake. Parking is available on the road shoulder by the launch. One alternative is to park your vehicle in front of the Waterford Historical Society building located next to the boat launch. I see no signs forbidding this practice, but do not know if it is frowned upon.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Keewaydin Lake in Stoneham, Oxford County, Maine (October 17, 2023)

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The boat launch by the dam. The launch is on the right (note the marked chain) and the dam is on the left.

 

Keewaydin Lake is a 307-acre body of water located in Stoneham, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 C3). The public access is located at the outlet by the dam right next to Route 5 at the southern tip of the lake. Plenty of parking area is available around the launch. I notice that the entrance to the boat launch is chained off and therefore inaccessible to watercraft. Fortunately, that does not affect me because I will be fishing in my a waders by the dam.

 

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Fishing for brook trout and rainbow trout on Crystal Lake in Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (October 15, 2023)

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The launch is hard-topped and spacious. Plenty of parking is available across the road.

 

Crystal Lake (a.k.a. Dry Pond) is a 189-acre body of water located in Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B3). Access to this pond is via a hard-top boat launch located at the southern tip of the lake on Mayberry Road right after it splits off from Noth Raymond Road. The town of Gray also maintains a public beach and swimming area right next to this ramp. A spacious parking lot able to accommodate dozens of vehicles is located across from the launch.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Spencer Pond in Township D, Franklin County, Maine (September 30, 2023)

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View of Spencer Pond from the put-in.

 

Spencer Pond is a 15-acre body of water located in Township D, Franklin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 18 B4). To get to the public access point, drive on Route 17 until you reach a well-maintained gravel road that leads towards the pond (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map for the exact location). Drive for 0.6 miles down this road before turning right on another good gravel road and driving for an additional 0.2 miles up to a locked gate. Park your vehicle, walk for about 200 ft. passed the gate, and turn right by the “trail” marker down a short foot path through the woods that leads to the pond. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location. Beware that the access point by the pond is rather soft, wet, and marshy.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Loon Lake in Dallas Plantation, Franklin County, Maine (September 29, 2023)

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While driving on Loon Lake Road, turn left at this sign to reach the public access point.

 

Loon Lake is a 192-acre body of water located in Dallas Plantation, Franklin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 28 D5). To reach the public access point, drive on Routes 4 and 16 towards Rangeley, turn left on Loon Lake Road, and drive for 3.5 miles before turning left on the gravel road indicated by the blue public access sign. Note that this gravel road is gated (the gate was open). I suspect that the gate is closed during mud season in the spring. Drive on this well-maintained gravel road for 0.9 miles until you see the clearly marked foot path that gets you to the western end of the lake after an easy two-minute walk. Vehicles can be parked on the side of the road. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Grassy Pond in Baxter State Park, Piscataquis County, Maine (August 2, 2023)

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The trail to Grassy Pond is easy and pretty.

 

My 16-year-old nephew Matt flew in from away to spend time in Maine learning how to fish. He expressed an interest in catching native brook trout after hearing some of my tall tales on the subject. But where can a novice angler go to catch native brookies in early August?? I need to find a place where a) the water temperature stays cool enough in the summer to draw trout to the surface, b) these trout can be caught using artificial lures (not fly fishing), and c) proper lure presentation is optional (not stream fishing). I settle on Grassy Pond in Baxter State Park (BSP). This 26-acre water body is found right off the Appalachian Trail about 1 mile south of the Katahdin Stream campground off the Park Tote Road (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 50 D4). Access is via a well-marked trail that starts at the parking area on the Tote Road. It takes about 20 minutes of easy walking to reach this destination. Note that the pond does not fall under the “special fishing laws”, meaning that it can be fished under the “general fishing laws” which are less restrictive.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on remote ponds in Southern Oxford County

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I admit to having a real soft spot for southern Oxford County, which I define here as the area located south of the Androscoggin River between Gilead and Livermore Falls and north of a line running between Oxford, Harrison, and Freyburg (i.e., essentially maps 10 and 11 in the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer between NH and the border with Androscoggin County). I have crisscrossed that entire sector of the state for well over a decade seeking isolated trout ponds and have always been amazed by its inherent beauty and remote character.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Little Concord Pond in Woodstock, Oxford County, Maine (June 11, 2023)

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The 3/4-mile foot trail leading to Little Concord Pond starts behind this kiosk.

 

Little Concord Pond covers 30 acres and is located in Woodstock, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11A1). To reach the pond, drive down Shagg Pond Road (note: the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer calls it Redding Road), pass the unimproved boat launch on Shagg Pond, and drive another 0.5 miles until you reach a small parking lot across from the wooden kiosk announcing Little Concord Pond State Park. The pond is another ¾ mile walk from the parking lot down an old closed-off tote road. While the first half of that trail is nice and smooth, the second half is bouldery and steep. As a result, anglers cannot use canoe wheels but must instead carry their craft on their backs. The launch by the pond is not immediately obvious. Fallen trees, floating logs, and aquatic bushes obstruct the area where the trail meets the pond. Instead, a discrete but steep foot trail along the shore to the left crosses over a small rocky knoll before reaching the actual launch which is surrounded by a dozen locked canoes.

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Fishing for brook trout on Abbott Pond in Sumner, Oxford County, Maine (June 10, 2023)

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You have reached your destination!

 

Abbott Pond covers 24 acres and is located in Sumner, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A1). Access to this pond is a challenge but well worth the effort! From Greenwoods Road in Sumner, turn onto Black Mountain Road (note: the Maine Gazetteer shows that Black Mountain Road splits off from Redding Road, but the road sign by Greenwoods Road reads Black Mountain Road… That confused the heck out of me). Black Mountain Road is paved at first but quickly turns into a gravel road and then into an ATV trail which is very rough in places. You will require a 4X4 vehicle or an ATV to make it all the way. Stay on the main stem of Black Mountain Road for 4.7 miles until you hit a “T” in the road, turn right and drive for 0.4 miles until you hit a “Y” in the road (look for the snowmobile club panel), then turn left and drive for another 0.7 miles until you see the yellow-painted metal gate to Abbott Pond on your right. The pond is an easy 5-minute walk down a good trail from that gate. Do NOT drive down Abbott Pond Road off Redding Road because it quickly transforms into a nasty ATV trail which crosses a small bridge that cannot accommodate larger vehicles, as I found out the hard way…

 

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