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

 

 

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)

 

 

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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Fishing for brook trout on Split Rock Pond in Bowtown Township, Somerset County, Maine (May 28, 2023)

 

 

Split Rock Pond earned its name for the reason pointed out by Antony.

 

Split Rock Pond covers 6 acres and is found in Bowtown Township in Somerset County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). Five of us are spending four fabulous days during the long Memorial Day weekend fishing Pierce Pond for landlocked Atlantic salmon and brook trout, as well as some of the smaller water bodies in the surrounding watershed for brook trout. We are comfortably “glamping” in one of the cozy cabins at Cobb’s Pierce Pond Camp located on the shore of the lower basin of Pierce Pond. A critical benefit of staying at Cobb’s is that guests get access to the camp’s locked canoes that are stored by various local ponds, plus detailed directions on the trailheads that connect Pierce Pond to those water bodies. Our target pond for this morning is publicly accessible from land, although I do not know how to reach it via the old logging roads shown on map 30 A2.

 

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Fishing for brook trout on Pierce Pond, Somerset County, Maine (May 27, 2023)

 

 

One of my sons, two grandsons, a nephew and I are on our annual extended Memorial Day weekend fishing pilgrimage to Pierce Pond, located in the undeveloped wilds of western Maine in Somerset County, just east of Flagstaff Lake (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 30 A2). We are staying for four days in one of the cozy cabins at Cobb’s Camps located in Lower Pond across from Lindsey Cove. One of the many aspects I love about staying at Cobb’s – besides the camaraderie among the guests who have been gathering at this place for decades, the good food, the friendly staff, and the authentic atmosphere – is the fact that reaching camp requires a boat. Also, the lack of electronic connections to the outside world allows everyone to unplug, slow down, and focus entirely on the business at hand, which is to catch salmonids!

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Ice fishing for brook trout on Norcross Pond in Chesterville, Franklin County, Maine (January 28, 2023)

 

 

It’s a cold morning but I enjoy being in the great outdoors!

 

Norcross Pond is a 122-acre body of water located in Chesterville, Franklin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 20 E1). The public access point is found at the southeastern end of the pond where Norcross Hill Road joins Ridge Road. Plenty of parking space is available along the shoulder where these two roads meet.

 

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Ice fishing for brook trout on Haley Pond in Rangeley, Franklin County, Maine (January 7, 2023)

 

 

Look for this sign on Route 4 in downtown Rangeley. The parking area is in the back next to the pond.

 

Haley Pond is a 170-acre body of water located in Rangeley, Franklin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 28 E5). To reach the public access point, drive into downtown Rangeley on Route 4 and look for the Rangeley Inn (big blue building). Right past it is a sign for “Sarge’s Additional Parking”. Turn into this lot, drive to the back, and park your vehicle next to the pond. You can walk right onto the ice from here.

 

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Ice fishing for brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout on Worthley Pond, Peru, Oxford County, Maine (January 1, 2023)

 

 

The public access is plowed during the winter and provides plenty of parking spaces

 

Worthley Pond is a 354-acre body of water located in Peru, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A3). The public access point is located on East Shore Road and is clearly indicated by a blue boat launch sign. This well-maintained hardtop launch is plowed during the winter to provide parking and allow easy access to the pond.

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Fishing for brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout on Worthley Pond, Peru, Oxford County, Maine (November 25, 2022)

 

 

The weather is cold, gloomy, and overcast. But, fortunately, the wind is quiet.

 

Worthley Pond is a 354-acre body of water located in Peru, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A3). The public access point is found on East Shore Road and is clearly indicated by a blue boat-launch sign. This well-maintained hardtop launch is spacious, accessible to large craft, and offers plenty of parking spaces.

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Fishing for brook trout and brown trout on Little Medomak Pond in Waldoboro, Lincoln County, Maine (November 13, 2022)

 

 

Look for the yellow milfoil sign to locate the public access point. And, oh yes, the weather sucks!

 

Little Medomak Pond (a.k.a. Spencer Pond) is a 75-acre body of water located in Waldoboro, Lincoln County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 13 D5). The public access point is found on the western shore of the pond. To reach this location, drive on Old Augusta Road, turn into Storer Mountain Road and drive for just under one mile until you see the yellow milfoil sign nailed to a tree on your right. Anglers can release a kayak or canoe from this location, but not a trailered boat because the access point lacks any kind of ramp. The nearby road shoulder provides limited parking.

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Fishing for brook trout and brown trout on Crystal Pond in Washington, Knox County, Maine (November 13, 2022)

 

 

View of the unimproved access point. Note the large pool in front of the launch, the emergent aquatic vegetation on both sides, and the rocky spur with the pine trees to the left.

 

Crystal Pond is a 98-acre body of water located in Washington, Knox County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 13 C5). The public access point is situated along the north shore of the pond, off Crystal Lake Road, and is clearly indicated by a blue sign. The launch is unimproved but could easily accommodate a small trailered boat. It also provides plenty of parking space. The surrounding area is nice and open, with several fire pits and permanent BBQ grills. It looks like folks enjoy camping here in the summer.

 

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