View of Rockhaven Lake from the bridge over the outlet. I fished in my waders along the shoreline to the left of this picture.
Rock Haven Lake (a.k.a. Adams Pond) is a 210-acre body of water located in Newfield, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 2 A2). The public access point is found about 100 ft. from the outlet, across from where Route 11 joins up with Route 110. This unmarked walk-in path provides parking for a few cars along the road shoulder. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location because it lacks a boat launch.
The path that leads to the lake from Route 11 is unmarked.
Rock Haven Lake supports a typical seasonal “put-and-take” salmonid fishery. Brook trout are stocked each fall in anticipation of the upcoming ice fishing season. Any fish remaining at the end of the winter are available to be caught in the spring but are not expected to survive the following summer. The reason is that this lake is shallow (mean depth = 11 ft.; maximum depth = 22 ft.), does not form a full thermocline in the summer, and experiences a severe oxygen deficiency at depth during the warmer months. The general fishing laws for the South Zone apply at this location, except that (a) the pond is open to fishing using only artificial lures between October 1 and November 30, and (b) all trout must be released alive at once. Click here for a depth map and additional fisheries information.
A pretty male brookie caught wading along the shoreline.
I arrive at the Rock Haven Lake public access point around 10 am. The sun is hiding behind a thick cloud deck, and the air temperature is in the mid-40’s. I layer up to stay warm and don my waders. Wader fishing this time of year can be a challenge: to the typical issues of shoreline obstructions or difficult substrate is added the rapidly-cooling water which now has a temperature in the high 40’s. I could of course use my canoe at this location but enjoy the challenge of getting intimate with the shoreline and the water. But one has to fully respect these tough conditions and be mindful of potential pitfalls to avoid an unpleasant – and cold! – dip.
The leaf colors have faded but the brook trout are still pretty.
I enter Rock Haven Lake at the bridge by the outlet under Route 11. I come armed with an ultralight spinning rod, a small spinning reel spooled with thin monofilament line, and a marvelous #2 Mepps spinner. I cast out my lure in that general area for 15 minutes without generating a hit. The wading conditions at this location are terrible… The bottom consists mainly of large, slippery boulders and the water gains depth quickly. This arrangement is not working out for me, and I have no desire to swim. I extricate myself, walk back to the road, and down the public access path that leads to the water. The wading conditions are marginally better here, with less boulders but more muck and sunken wood next to water that quickly gains depth. I cast my lure towards the surviving lily pads on the opposite end and entice three brook trout to grab the spinner over the next 45 minutes. It’s slow fishing but they all fight vigorously given the cool conditions. Two of the fish are males in their brilliant spawning colors. This is a real treat, but the bite stops, the wind picks up, and my legs are getting cold. I call it good, happy to have caught several brookies under less than ideal conditions.
The results: I caught 3 brook trout (largest = 14 inches) in one hour and 15 minutes.
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Tight Lines, y’all.
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