The launch is hard-topped and spacious. Plenty of parking is available across the road.
Crystal Lake (a.k.a. Dry Pond) is a 189-acre body of water located in Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B3). Access to this pond is via a hard-top boat launch located at the southern tip of the lake on Mayberry Road right after it splits off from Noth Raymond Road. The town of Gray also maintains a public beach and swimming area right next to this ramp. A spacious parking lot able to accommodate dozens of vehicles is located across from the launch.
The fall colors make it all worthwhile!
Crystal lake is a highly-developed lake with very clear water located to the northeast of Sebago Lake. This water body supports a popular open water and hard water salmonid fishery consisting of a trifecta of trout species, namely brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout. However, due to a lack of suitable spawning and nursery areas, the lake is lightly stocked each fall with between 1 and 2 fish per trout species per acre to maintain the fishery. These fish typically measure about 13 inches. What attracts me here this morning is that the state released its fall allotment of brook trout earlier this month in anticipation of the upcoming ice fishing season. Fishing in the fall at this location occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the south zone, except that the lake is open to angling between October 1 and December 31 using artificial lures only and with the stipulation that all salmonids must be released back to the water at once. It is relatively deep with a mean and maximum depth of 25 ft. and 59 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
These 13-inch brookies give a great fight when caught on an ultralight spinning rod.
I arrive at the boat launch at 6:30 am in my waders and all layered up with warm clothes. Sunrise is in 25 minutes. It is a magnificent early fall morning, with fog slowly drifting off the water, an air temperature of 44°F, and only a hint of a breeze. I see several rises as I am walking down the boat ramp and wade into the cool water. The wading conditions are puuurfect! The substrate consists of fine but firm sand with no obstructions. The bottom also gently slopes down away from the shoreline, making for safe and enjoyable wading. These conditions are quite similar to those I experienced at Long Pond and Hutchinson Pond. I deploy my usual angling tools for this time of year, namely an ultralight spinning rod with a small spinning reel spooled with 6-pound monofilament line, and a #2 copper-colored Mepps spinner. It is a lethal combination because I can cast that spinner a country mile away, let it sink to the bottom, and start a slow retrieve. I also removed one of the three hooks from the treble and flattened the barb on one of the two remaining hooks to minimize harm to the fish. The trick with this lure is to constantly twitch the rod tip to cause the blade to flicker and trigger the hunter-killer instinct of the trout below. I have my first hookup after five casts, but the trout escapes right as I try to net it. Darn! But the signal is clear: the fish are at their post and eager to play. I get a second hookup and early release minutes later. What the hell! I check the hooks on my spinner: they are still plenty sharp. It is the way these fish consistently wiggle and shake their heads when hooked.
It just never gets old!
I get another 10 hookups and land 6 more fish in my net over the next hour or so. One of those fish is actually a 13-inch rainbow trout. The whole setup is just impeccable: the weather is great, the wading is easy and enjoyable, and the fish are biting. Note that I make it a point to slowly walk back to shore every time I fight a fish to prevent it from spooking any other trout that may be present in the vicinity. That seems to work this morning because the bite never stopped. The cherry on top is that I have the place all to myself, which is typically what I experience in the fall: most anglers have stored their equipment and are missing out on the best trout fishing of the open-water season in southern Maine! And that suits me just fine .
The results: I caught seven 12- to 14-inch brookies and one 13-inch rainbow trout in one hour of fast and fun fishing.
I love the unexpected “by-catch”! Notice the wind still conditions.
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