Largemouth bass fishing on Beaver Pond in Denmark, Maine (August 23, 2014)

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The access point on Beaver Pond with view of the large island and a hint of Pleasant Mountain in the background

The access point on Beaver Pond with view of the large island and a hint of Pleasant Mountain in the background

 

Beaver Pond is a 128-acre body of water located in Denmark, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 B3). The pond is situated off Denmark Road, which connects Route 302 (Bridgton Road) with Route 160 (West Maine Street). Public access is available at a town launch sited at the end of Beaver Pond Road. This dirt road is unmarked but can be found right next to house number 347 on Denmark Road (look for a red barn).  Note that this road is not named in the Maine Gazetteer but appears on the Google map at the top of this article. The pond is located 0.3 miles from the Denmark Road turnoff. The sandy launch can accommodate small trailered boats, but is best suited for hand-carried craft. Only a handful of cars can park “rough” in the woods around the launch.

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Sand Pond (a.k.a. Walden Pond) in Denmark, Maine (August 9, 2014)

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View of Hancock Pond from the boat launch

View of Hancock Pond from the boat launch

 

Sand Pond (a.k.a. Walden Pond) is a 256-acre body of water located in Denmark, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 B3). It is accessible via an excellent hard-top boat launch located on next-door Hancock Pond. Both ponds are connected via a short (< 10 ft long) but shallow (< 1 ft deep) and rather narrow sandy thoroughfare. The lack of a public boat launch and the somewhat dicey way in via Hancock Pond, make it so that the pond is not overrun by fisherman.

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Burnt Meadow Pond, Brownfield, Maine (June 14, 2014)

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View of the town beach area on Burnt Meadow Pond

View of the town beach area on Burnt Meadow Pond

 

Burnt Meadow Pond is a 69-acre body of water located in Brownfield, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 B2). The easiest access is via the excellent boat launch located off Route 160 (Spring Street) which runs parallel to the shoreline along the western side of the pond. An alternative access point, but only for small hand-carried craft, is from the town beach off Burnt Meadow Road (follow the blue signs for “town beach”) located by the outlet at the northern end of the pond. About a dozen houses dot the shoreline, mostly along the northern shore. The setting is actually quite pleasing with Burnt Meadow Mountain looming in the background. The surrounding watershed is completely forested.

 

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TOP 10 Brook Trout Ponds for the 2014 Spring Fishing Season in Oxford County, Maine

This blog identifies the ponds in Oxford County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2014. Most of the target ponds are below 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Some of these ponds can be fished from shore, but most are best fished from a canoe or other small craft. The fishing action on these bodies of water can be fast and furious in the spring. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the bite slows down due to rising surface water temperatures.

The TOP 10 brook trout ponds in Oxford County for the spring of 2014 are highlighted below in alphabetical order. A pond is considered TOP due to its trout stocking density: everything else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Oxford County (winter of 2014)

Over 30 ponds in Oxford County, Maine, were stocked with trout in the fall of 2013 to support ice fishing during the winter of 2014. 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 Oxford County where 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 Oxford 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 (well, give or take…) which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing.  These 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 Oxford County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order).  A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density: the more trout are stocked per acre, the higher the chances of catching them. Note that the list is rather short because most of the smaller ponds which are stocked in the fall are closed to ice fishing.

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Ten fabulous largemouth bass ponds in southern Oxford County, Maine

Fishing for largemouth bass is a cherished summer activity for many fishermen in 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, or general shore activity. My goal was to find, and share with you, hidden largemouth bass fishing spots scattered throughout southern Oxford County, defined here as that part of the county situated south of the Androscoggin River. I focused on smaller ponds less than about 50 acres in size, located mostly 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. I’ve also identified fabulous largemouth bass ponds in York County, Cumberland County, and south coastal Maine.

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Trout fishing on Stanley Pond, Hiram, Maine (April 21, 2013)


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Stanley Pond is a three-lobed, 137-acre body of water located next to Route 160 in Hiram, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 C2). It is accessible via the boat launch located in the lower lobe next to the outlet on Tripptown Road off Route 160. This pond has a reputation for producing large rainbow trout. Visit the website linked to this blog for more information on this and the 600+ other ponds that are stocked with trout and/or landlocked salmon throughout Maine.

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Trout fishing on Stanley Pond, Hiram, Maine (March 10, 2013)

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Stanley Pond is a three-lobed, 137-acre body of water located next to Route 160 in Hiram, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 C2). It is accessible via the boat launch located next to the outlet on Tripptown Road off Route 160. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. This pond has a reputation for growing big rainbow trout. It was also stocked last fall with larger trout (click here for details). My son Joel and I will icefish it for the first time today in an attempt to catch one of the big ones. We reach the boat launch by the outlet dam located on the lower lobe of Stanley Pond at 7:25 am. We’re anxious about the ice conditions because it rained heavily five days earlier, followed by relatively balmy daytime temperatures in the mid 40’s. Fortunately, the hard freeze over the last several nights has solidified the slush into 6” of soft ice on top of 9” of black ice. We’re good to go because the ice along the shoreline is also solid. The day promises to be beautiful: full sunshine, no wind, and temps in the low 40’s.

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The Hottest Brook Trout Ponds for the Spring of 2013 in Oxford County, Maine

This blog identifies the ponds in Oxford County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2013. All of the target ponds are below 30 acres and are therefore relatively small.  Some of these ponds could be fished from shore, but most are best fished from a canoe or other small craft. The fishing action on these bodies of water can be fast and furious in the spring. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the bite slows down due to rising surface water temperatures.

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