The view from the boat launch is quite stunning!

Mountainview Pond (a.k.a. Fitzgerald Pond) is a 550-acre body of water located at the base of Big Moose Mountain and the Big Squaw Ski Resort a few miles west outside of Greenville, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 41 C1). Access is off Rockwood Road (Route 6/15) down a gravel road to an excellent hard-top boat launch with ample parking space available. A big sign on Rockwood Road clearly indicates the access point to the pond.

Brook trout #1: 15 inches.

Mountainview Pond is a gorgeous, totally undeveloped lake with a stunning mountain backdrop stretching out all along its western shoreline. The whole area is entirely forested. The substrate of that part of the lake I fish this morning consists mainly of boulders and cobbles. The water is clear but with a slight cloudy color. This pond, which is extremely shallow and flat-bottomed given its relatively large size, has a maximum and mean depth of only 17 ft. and 9 ft., respectively. It receives a serious annual stocking of brook trout given its relatively large size. Every year, the state releases between 6000 and 7000 fish, three quarters of which are of the 10-inch variety. Open-water fishing occurs under general fishing law applicable to the North Zone. The use or possession of live bait is allowed, but the daily bag limit on trout is two fish. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.

Brook trout #2: 16 inches. My morning is already made and I am only 30 minutes into my trolling trip!

I arrive at the boat launch at 5:15 am. The air temperature is a cool 42°F. I’m totally smitten by the surrounding landscape. The sky is overcast but it is also absolutely wind still, which greatly amplifies Big Moose Mountain with its refection in the water. I push off at 5:30 am, eager to start exploring Mountainview Pond but expecting to catch mainly 10″ brookies. The water temperature at the surface is an ideal 53° F. I troll using my trusted lead core line and eight-weight fly fishing rod and reel teamed up with three one-hook streamer flies tied back to back with monofilament and placed ¾ of a color down (about 5 ft. below the surface). I hold the rod in my hand and constantly “rip” the flies to make them dart forward and impart action in them. I also deploy my ultralight fishing rod and small reel with a 2-inch ACME Phoebe spoon and a fat split shot to place the lure a foot or two below the surface. I get a hard hit and hook-up on my lead core 15 minutes after leaving the launch. Yes! I tussle with and net a tenacious 15″ brookie. Then, no more than ten minutes later, my ultralight start shaking like crazy. A 16″ brook trout gives me a great fight. Wow, my morning is already made and I have been fishing for less than 30 minutes!

Brook trout #3: 17 inches! Sweet icing on my cake.

Then the action dies out completely for over an hour. But the catchin’ ain’t quite over yet! My ultralight fishing rod suddenly bends over backwards and line rips off the reel. Shoot, I must be stuck on the bottom. But the shaking tells a much happier story. I’m now fighting an absolute brute which tenaciously stays down and away from the surface. Holy smokes, what have I hooked?? I bring the fish towards the boat slowly and carefully (I only have six pound test line on my small ultralight reel…). It reveals itself to be a 17″ brookie hog. Wow again. I’m in seventh heaven. As with all the other trout, it gets marveled over, photographed, and quickly released. That one is followed by another 15″ brookie caught on one of the streamer flies, and an 11″ brookie caught on the Phoebe lure. Well, this turned out to be one heck of a morning! Five trout in two hours of trolling is great fishing in anyone’s book. But the fact that four of those brookies measured between 15 and 17 inches is what makes this trip memorable. Mountainview Pond is definitely on my “redo” list!

One cannot miss the boat launch sign for Mountainview Pond from Rockwood Road.

The results: I landed five brook trout (largest was 17″) in two hours of fantastic early-morning trolling.

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