Burnt Meadow Pond is a pretty 69-acre body of water located next to Route 160 in Brownfield, Oxford County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 B2). The public access is via a hard-top boat launch located at the southern tip of the pond right off Route 160. Ample parking space is available by the launch.
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All’s quiet this morning and the trout are biting!
Maces Pond is a 32-acre body of water located alongside Route 17 (Rockland Street) in Rockport, Knox County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 D3). A spacious pull-out next to the road at the southern tip of the pond can easily accommodate up to half-a-dozen vehicles. The access to the pond is down a short trail next to this pull-out area. A boat launch is not available, but hand-carried craft can be put in the water at that location.
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General view of Big Eddy Pond from the southern end
Big Eddy Pond covers about 4 acres and is located in the back of the Topsham Transfer Station at the end of Townsend Way, off Foreside Road in Topsham, ME. The pond is not shown on the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map; use the Google Map link above to find its specific location. The easiest access is by car: slowly drive through the entrance of the transfer station, stop and tell the attendant your purpose, continue to the back of the facility, and look for a dirt road that loops around the grassy knoll (i.e., the restored landfill). It will bring you directly to the shore of the pond after a 2-minute ride. Cars can be parked right along the pond shoreline. Keep in mind that the transfer station operates from 8 am until 5 or 6 pm (depending on the season) and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. Click here for more details. If you want to fish before opening or after closing hours, or on the two closed days, then park your car in the small parking lot to the left of the entrance to the transfer station and walk for about 10 minutes to the pond via the local trails. Keep in mind that Big Eddy Pond has a smaller twin called Little Eddy Pond. Only the former (most southerly) is stocked with trout.
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Everything is fogged in this morning but the trout are biting!
Hall Pond is a 51-acre body of water located next to Halls Pond Road (off Route 119, a.k.a. Hebron Road) in Paris, Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 D2). Access to the water is directly from quiet Halls Pond Road. Vehicles can be parked along the road shoulder. This small pond serves as the sole public water supply for the Hebron Water Company which provides drinking water to the surrounding community. As a result, the town has promulgated a restrictive ordnance to protect the quality of the surface water, including no bodily contact, no ice shacks, and no use of internal combustion engines (including ice augers). I am checking out this pond this morning as part of my efforts to identify, and blog about, locations where one can catch trout in the fall while wader fishing from shore without the need of a boat or other specialized equipment.
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Pretty and peaceful…
The Pleasant River is a relatively short river which meanders through the towns of Grey and Windham. It joins the Presumpscot River in South Windham, Cumberland County (The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D2). An easy access point is from the bridge on Pope Road (off Routes 4/202). Up to three vehicles can be parked next to the road at that location. I personally like to fish from the bridge all the way up to the Route 302 overpass located about 1.5 miles further upstream. The surrounding woods are surprisingly thick (with local exceptions, including a large cow pasture further upstream), considering that this river flows through a densely-populated area of southern Maine, including behind the Windham high school. I have always been surprised by how few people fish this stretch of water in the fall, although the place does get busy on weekends in the spring.
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It is a wind-still morning and all’s quiet…
Crystal Lake (a.k.a. Dry Pond) is a 189-acre body of water located in Gray, Cumberland County (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B3). Access is via the excellent hard-top public boat launch located at the southern tip of the lake by Mayberry Road (off North Raymond Road) next to the town-owned Wilkies Beach. Plenty of parking is available across the road from the launch.
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The access point to Little Beaver Pond is rough and can only accommodate hand-carried craft.
Little Beaver Pond is a pretty 50-acre body of water located just to the west of Upper Richardson Lake off Route 16 in Magalloway Plantation in northern Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 18 A1). To access this pond from Route 16, drive north in the direction of Rangeley, turn right on Fish Pond Road (located between Aziscohos Lake and West Richardson Pond), drive down that gravel road for 1.0 mile, turn left on another gravel road and drive for 0.1 mile until you see a rough footpath on your right. The pond is located about 500 ft. down that path. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from the access point. Parking is along the road shoulder.
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The boat launch at Upper Richardson Pond is spacious. Notice the low water level!
Upper Richardson Lake is a remote reservoir located off Route 16 in Richardson Township in Northern Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 18 A2). To access this lake from Route 16, drive north in the direction of Rangeley, turn right on Mill Brook Road across from West Richardson Pond (look for the official blue boat launch sign), and drive for about 1 mile until you reach the water. The launch is spacious and provides ample parking.
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This old cabin sits at the end of the rutted forest road along the shoreline of Lower East Richardson Pond
Lower East Richardson Pond is a remote 54-acre body of water located off Route 16 in the “Upper Richardson – Maine Public Reserved Land Unit” of Adamstown Township in northern Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 28 E2). To access this pond from Route 16, drive north in the direction of Rangeley, turn right on Upper Dam Road located across from West Richardson Pond, stay on that dirt road for 0.8 miles, turn left on an unmarked dirt road (no need for a 4X4 vehicle) and drive for 0.5 mile until you reach another unmarked forest road on the left. Beware that a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to drive the 1000 ft or so on that road to the pond. So it may be best to leave your vehicle at that intersection and walk in. To our surprise, my son Joel and I find an old cabin on the shoreline that seems to belong to a local rod and gun club. Note: the link to the Google Map above points to Upper East Richardson Pond. The lower pond is the smaller body of water just to the south of it.
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You’ve driven about 1000 ft too far if you reach this gate.
Upper East Richardson Pond is a remote 85-acre body of water located off Route 16 in the “Upper Richardson – Maine Public Reserved Land Unit” of Adamstown Township in northern Oxford County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 28 E2). To access this pond from Route 16, drive north in the direction of Rangeley, turn right on Upper Dam Road located across from West Richardson Pond, stay on that dirt road for 0.8 miles, turn left on an unmarked dirt road (no need for a 4X4 vehicle) and drive for about a mile or so up to a gate on your left. The trail behind that gate leads to a cabin on the shore of the pond which appears to be used by a local rod and gun club. I do not see any no trespassing signs at the gate, but a kind person at the cabin informs me that the “public” access point is actually located down a short unmarked trail off the road about 1,000 ft before the gate (diagonally across from a small open clearing). The rough footpath from the road to the shore is less than 500 ft long.
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