The public access point is obstructed by cement blocks. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location.
Worthley Pond is a 42-acre body of water located in Poland, Androscoggin County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 A3). The public access point is located at the northern tip of the pond. From route 122, turn on Worthley Pond Road and hang a right at the Y. After that split, the road has two deep dips that fill up with water after a rainstorm. They look daunting when full and when approached in a smaller vehicle but are safe to drive through because the substrate at the bottoms of these dips is solid. Note that the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer shows a trailerable boat launch. That information is inaccurate. The access point has been obstructed for years with large cement blocks which only allow passage to hand-carried craft. Plenty of parking is available by the launch area.
The early morning is cool and wind still. The contrast between the warmer water and colder air creates a nice fog vibe.
Worthley Pond is a beautiful spot located within a stone’s throw from the Lewiston/Auburn metro area. It has an intact riparian shoreline with limited development, mostly associated with Camp North Star. When this summer camp is not in session, the pond provides a genuine “remote” feel, which is precious in busy southern Maine. I identified this location for salmonid trolling in the summer using my proven search strategy. I also fished it last fall for brook trout. I need to ascertain the presence of a thermocline and determine that layer’s oxygen status to ensure success this morning. I get what I need from Lakes of Maine. Unfortunately, the available water quality data are sparse (only two sampling events; one in July and one in August) and old (2007 and 2008). But this scant information shows the presence of a strong and fully-oxygenated thermocline 10 to 15 ft below the surface – which is unbelievably shallow – with an oxygen deficiency further down. The water temperature drops an amazing 17°F within this thin layer. Without a doubt, that is where the trout hide and forage in the summer. The pond is stocked with brook trout and brown trout each spring and fall at a stocking density of 27 brook trout/acre and 4 brown trout/acre. These are nice values, but I am particularly excited about the latter number because it represents one of the highest stocking densities for browns anywhere in southern Maine! Fishing at this location occurs under the applicable South Zone rules. This water body as a mean and maximum depth of 14 ft. and 46 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and (dated) fisheries information. Before leaving home, I printed out the map and circled the 20-ft. depth contour, so I know exactly where to troll. The entire southern half of the pond will serve as my hunting grounds.
I cannot safely remove this nice brook trout from the water because I forgot my net!
I arrive at the Worthley Pond launch area at 5:25 am; sunrise is at 6:03 am. I load the canoe with fishing gear when I realize that I forgot to bring the net! Aargh, that is going to be a problem if I catch a bigger trout… I push off shortly afterwards, eager to fish the Golden Hour, i.e., from 30 minutes before to 1 hour after sunrise when the light levels are low and the trout are actively chasing breakfast down below. The weather is perfect: wind-still, air temp of 53°F, and a partly overcast sky. I am trolling using lead core line and three small trout spoons tied back-to-back. The third, “straggler”, spoon is a diminutive, 2-inch, smelt-imitating Mooselook Wobbler which has served me well recently (click here, here, and here for examples). I will give this lure a try, even though the pond lacks smelt. I place my lures two and a quarter colors down (12-13 ft) and start trolling along the shoreline in 20 ft. of water. The deep area in the southern half of the pond is so small that it takes about 10 minutes to paddle a full circle. I go around 2-3 times but only succeed in fooling a tiny largemouth bass that falls for the Wobbler. That’s nothing to write home about but shows that a) I am at the right depth, and b) the straggler lure is working. I move more offshore over 30+ ft. of water and get a tremendous hit 10 minutes later. Oh. Oh. Oh. Ladies and gentlemen, this fish is BIG! It fights hard and tenaciously, and refuses to come up. It takes several anxious minutes, and several long runs with line ripping off the reel, to gently coax the creature to the surface where it leaps out of the water. OMG, it’s a large brown trout! It finally gives up after a splendid fight and I get it next to the canoe. Not having a net is now a real problem. I cannot lean over to scoop up the fish with my hand because otherwise I flip the boat. Instead, I grab the lure, but the fish immediately unhooks and disappears back into the deep… That trout measured 21-22 inches and weighed over 4 pounds. I resolve that if I catch another fish and bring it to the boat, I will take a picture of it in the water before trying to bring it into the canoe!
This diminutive Mooselook Wobbler is really working for me even though Worthley Pond does not have rainbow smelt…
I continue paddling on Worthley Pond and get another hit 30 minutes later in the same general area of where I caught the brown trout. This fish is smaller than the previous one but still gives it its all. It too stays low and takes two long runs. It is so much fun when the line comes flying off the reel! I notice white edges on the fish’s bottom fins as it emerges from the deep. I caught a nice, fat brookie measuring 17-18 inches, and it too took the straggler lure. I take a picture of the fish in the water and then try to get it into the boat by grabbing the lure, but it too unhooks and vanishes. Nonetheless, I am pumped with the results so far. Since the trout are falling for the tiny wobbler, I remove the other two lures and replace them with two more tiny Wobblers. Three has got to be better than one, right? But the fish think otherwise. I paddle around and around and around for another 1.5 hours and only succeed in catching another tiny largemouth bass. It is now 8:30 am and time to leave. I am fully satisfied with my morning and note that I caught the two trout during the Golden Hour… On my drive back home, I stop at a local store and buy another net that will permanently stay in my truck, so I never again run into this “Darn, I forgot my net…” problem!
The results: I caught a brown trout (~21 to 22 inches long) and a brook trout (~17 to 18 inches long) in 3 hours of trolling.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at this location.
Tight Lines, y’all.
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