Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Cumberland County, Maine (winter of 2014)

About 25 ponds in Cumberland County, Maine, were stocked in the fall of 2013 with trout to support ice fishing. Most of these fish are relatively small (7” to 12”), but plentiful, in order to provide fast action on the ice.

The state also spiced up several of these ponds with bigger trout, which I define here as fish measuring 13” or more, and weighing at least 1.0 lb. This blog highlights the ponds (presented in alphabetical order) in Cumberland County where ice fishermen have the best odds of catching those larger fish through the ice.

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Cumberland County, Maine

For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water less than 50 acres in size which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing.  Such small ponds freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish several weeks before the bigger lakes become accessible.  This provides a real opportunity for hot early-season action for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to catch brookies through the ice.

The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2014 ice fishing season in Cumberland County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order).  A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density: the more brook trout are stocked per acre, the higher the chances of catching them.

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Trout fishing on Otter Pond #2, Standish, Maine (November 10, 2013)

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General view of Otter Pond #2

General view of Otter Pond #2

Otter Pond #2 is a 12-acre body of water located in Standish, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D1; note that on the Google map above, Otter Pond #2 is the pond just below the one indicated by the red pin). Read this blog for directions on how to access this pond. Otter Pond #2 is a widely popular spot for early ice fishing, but gets little or no pressure in the fall after it is stocked for the winter season.  My son Joel and I arrive at the largest of the two parking lots off Route 35 by 8:15 am. As expected, we’re all by ourselves, which suits us just fine. We place his canoe on canoe wheels, load up the car battery, electric trolling engine, and our fishing gear in the boat, and haul everything down the Mountain Division Trail to our destination. I checked the stocking report on-line the day before; the State released a truckload of brookies in this pond last week which should make for good fishing.

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Trout fishing on a private pond in Grey, Maine (October 20, 2013)

My friend John recently moved from the city to the country side where he bought a beautiful house in the woods. The previous owner dammed up a small spring-fed streamlet and dug a 12-ft deep hole to create a small pond in the backyard. He also stocked that pond with four dozen 8” rainbow trout and a handful of 5 lbs. spawners! John, who knows my passion for fishing, invites me over to try to catch one of those monsters. I readily accept after some light arm twisting : ) He does request that I make sure to remove the barbs from the hooks of my lures because he doesn’t want to injure the smaller rainbows in his pond.

 

I show up in his back yard at 8 am with my 10-year old nephew Christian, who is just as excited as I am about the possibility of catching the fish of a lifetime. I’ll fish with #2 Mepps spinners on an ultra-light rod with a reel containing 6-pound test line, a Woolly Bugger on a fly rod with sinking line, and a 4” plastic swim bait on a heavier rod and reel. Christian will fish with a bobber and live worms. We see surface activity as we quietly approach the pond upon arrival: the fish are picking at stuff in the water film, and one of them is huge!! I implore Christian to crouch down and to walk softly so as not to scare the fish. I start casting my Mepps but without generating any interest. Christian, on the other hand, gets several bites in the first 30 minutes but is either too distracted or not putting enough tension on the line to set the hook quickly enough.

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Largemouth bass fishing on Collins Pond in Windham, Maine (August 18, 2013)

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View of the lily pad bed by the access point

View of the lily pad bed by the access point

Collins Pond is a 42-acre body of water located in Windham, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D2). It is an impoundment on Ditch Brook, which is the outlet of Little Sebago Lake, via Mill Pond located just upstream of Route 115. The pond can be reached by turning onto Running Brook Road from Route 115 and driving down the hill for 200-300 ft just past house #25 on your right. Park your car on the road shoulder and walk down a short foot path towards a small sandy beach by the pond. I’m not sure that this is a “public” access point but I did not see any No Trespassing signs either. Only small, hand-carried craft such as a canoe or kayak, can be launched from this point. I also noticed a wide forest/four wheeler trail with a fire pit next to the outlet at the other end of the pond. A walk up this trail leads to a huge gravel pit operation. I don’t know if the pond can be accessed from that end. Collins Pond Collins Pond has a maximum depth of 18 ft and a mean depth of 7 ft, which makes it quite shallow. The water is very clear, which is no surprise since its source is Little Sebago Lake. The substrate is clean, consisting mostly of rough sand and small gravel interspersed with boulders. Several dozen camps and year-round houses dot the shoreline. General fishing law applies on this pond (click here for more details). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.

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Largemouth bass fishing on Beaver Pond, Westbrook, Maine (July 5, 2013)

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Access point to Beaver Pond

Access point to Beaver Pond

Beaver Pond is a 4-acre water body located in the heart of Westbrook (see the “Westbrook” map in The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 74 C1). The public access to this pond is located at the end of Church Street. Beware that it is weedy and unimproved. Only hand-carried craft, such as canoes or kayaks, can be launched from this point. Parking is on the street.

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Mill Pond, Windham, Maine (June 30, 2013)

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The dam separating Little Sebago Lake from Mill Pond

The dam separating Little Sebago Lake from Mill Pond

Mill Pond is a 10-acre impoundment formed by the outlet of Little Sebago Lake in Windham, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). The downstream end of this small pond is dammed. The ouflow pouring over this dam forms Ditch Brook which flows underneath Route 115. The water in the pond is crystal clear. The substrate consists mostly of boulders and cobbles. The maximum depth is about 35 ft. Around a dozen houses dot the shoreline. Access to Mill Pond is problematic because it does not have a boat launch or public access. I get on to it via a friend’s backyard which abuts the pond. Also, keep in mind that some of the rainbow trout which are stocked annually in Little Sebago Lake wash over the outlet structure and get stuck in the pond. Those fish have grown fat and are worth targeting through the ice or in the spring and fall.

 

 

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Six fabulous largemouth bass ponds in Cumberland County, Maine

Fishing for largemouth bass is a cherished summer activity for many fishermen in southern Maine. The desired quietness and loneliness, however, can be rudely impacted by the unwelcome hustle and bustle of jet skiers, swimmers, speed boaters, other fishermen, general shore activity, or busy road traffic.

My goal was to find, and share with you, hidden largemouth bass fishing spots scattered throughout Cumberland County. I focused on small ponds less than about 50 acres in size, located off the beaten track but still readily accessible by car (no need for 4X4 driving or hiking through the woods!). I also avoided ponds with excessive shore development. A small motorized boat could be launched on a few of these ponds, but most are fishable only by hand-carried craft, such as a canoe or kayak.

This selection process ensures that you will likely be fishing all by yourself in unspoiled, quiet, natural surroundings. The ponds are also small enough that they can be covered in a lazy afternoon or a long summer evening. Finally, I fished each one of them to ensure that they contain largemouth bass, which they did! Click here for an overview of the lures I like to use on these fish and click here to review the fishing rules that may apply on these ponds. I’ve also identified fabulous largemouth bass ponds in York County, south coastal Maine, and southern Oxford County.

And the fabulous ponds for Cumberland County are (in alphabetical order)….

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Largemouth bass fishing on Chaffin Pond, Windham, Maine (June 23, 2013)

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General view of Chaffin Pond

General view of Chaffin Pond

Chaffin Pond is a pretty 13-acre body of water located in the heart of the business district of North Windham off busy Route 302 (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). Going north on Route 302, turn right on Chaffin Pond Road, right before the Sherman Williams paint store. The pond is part of the Windham Parks and Recreation’s  123-acre Donnabeth Lippman Park. Click here for a map of the park and its pond. A depth map is not available

 

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Lily Pond, New Gloucester, Maine (June 22, 2013)

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The rough launch at Lily Pond

The rough launch at Lily Pond

Lily Pond is a pretty 38-acre water body located just west of the Maine Turnpike (I-95) in New Gloucester, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B4). Access to this pond is via a rough boat launch that can only accommodate hand-carried craft. The launch is located at the end of a short dirt road off Snow Hill Road (looking east) right before the bridge over the pond outlet. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocks the pond each year with about 8 rainbow trout per acre. This stocking rate makes Lily pond one of the premier rainbow trout destinations in southern and central Maine, right after Ell Pond (click here for more details on the latter). The fishing rules on this pond are strict because of its special status as a regional rainbow trout fishery. The major restrictions are as follows: (a) the pond is closed to ice fishing, (b) use or possession of live fish is prohibited (dead bait fish, salmon eggs, and worms are allowed), and (c) motorboats are prohibited. Click here for details on the fishing regulations and for additional rules pertaining to this body of water.

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