Category Archives: Freshwater

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 brown trout on Square Pond in Acton and Shapleigh, York County, Maine (September 2, 2023)

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The boat launch for Square Pond is spacious. Note the large culvert under West Shore Road at the right edge of this photo.

 

Square Pond is a 910-acre body of water located in the towns of Acton and Shapleigh, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 B2). The public access point is located along the western shore of the pond, off West Shore Road. The entrance to the public launch is clearly marked by a blue sign by the road. However, beware that the launch does not face the pond, but is located by its outlet across the road. Boaters need to navigate through a large and wide culvert underneath West Shore Road to reach the pond itself. The boat launch is spacious, has a huge parking area, and provides a convenient porter potty during the warm season.

 

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Fishing for brown trout on Worthley Pond in Peru, Androscoggin County, Maine (August 12, 2023)

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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 spacious and offers plenty of parking spaces. It also provides a convenient porter potty during open-water season.

 

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Fishing for rainbow trout on Little Sebago Lake in Windham, Cumberland County, Maine (August 7, 2023)

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I feel so alive when contemplating a view such as this one!

 

Little Sebago Lake covers 1,898 acres and is located in Windham and Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). To reach the public boat launch, drive north through downtown Windham on Route 302 (Roosevelt Trail) in the direction of Raymond, turn right on Anglers Way at the light by Bob’s Seafood restaurant and Franco’s Bistro, drive past Pettingill Pond, and just follow the blue boat launch signs. The distance between Route 302 and your destination is exactly 1.3 miles. The hard-top boat launch is spacious and has plenty of parking. It also offers a convenient porta potty.

 

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Fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass on Long Pond in Parsonsfield, York County, Maine (August 5, 2023)

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We are starting relatively small…

 

Long Pond is a 275-acre body of water located in the town of Parsonsfield, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 D2). Access to this pond is via a hard but steeply inclined boat launch located on Road Between the Ponds, off Joe Berry Road. This launch is at an awkward 90° angle (i.e., perpendicular) to the narrow Road between the Ponds which therefore requires a tight turn when backing the trailer into the water. And one needs to aim straight because the edges of the launch are quite steep, as I found out the hard way today… Fortunately, this road only has light local traffic. The depth at the launch is also rather shallow (< 2 ft.) for 25-30 ft. out. I brought my hip boots to get into the water at the end of the trip and help guide the boat back on the trailer.

 

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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 smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (August 1, 2023)

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Matt catches the very first smallmouth bass of the afternoon!

 

My 16-year-old nephew Matt flew in from away to spend some time in Maine learning to fish with his uncle. He is a total novice at the sport and I need to ensure that he catches and stays engaged! He cannot properly cast, nor can he aim with any degree of accuracy. I must therefore find a place where he can cast without the need to be accurate and where the fish are abundant and aggressive. I set my eyes on putting him on smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in front of the Otis hydropower station in Livermore, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 11 A5). I have had good luck at this location in the past. Click here, here, and here for earlier blogs on this spot and for directions on how to reach it. Keep in mind that you will need a canoe or kayak to fish this section of the river.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Kennebec River in Sidney, Kennebec County, Maine (July 22, 2023)

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That is about as big as a boat launch gets!!

 

The Kennebec River flowing through Sidney towards Augusta is the target of my angling ambitions this morning (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 13 A1). To reach the public access point, look for the blue boat launch sign on Route 104 in Sidney, drive down Recreation Lane, and drive past the baseball fields all the way to the water. The launch is improved and spacious and offers plenty of parking.

 

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Fishing for smallmouth bass on the Androscoggin River in Durham, Androscoggin County, Maine (July 15, 2023)

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The lower reach of the Androscoggin River flowing through south coastal Maine is a favorite destination of mine for catching smallmouth bass (click here, here, and here for examples). The stretch of water between Lewiston/Auburn and Brunswick is packed with bronzebacks! And the most amazing feature is that I usually have this gorgeous water all to myself even though it is located in one of the most densely populated areas of the state.

 

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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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