The access point is unimproved. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location.
Warren Pond is a 45-acre body of water located in South Berwick, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 1 A4). To access this pond, drive down Belle Marsh Road and look for the wooden bridge over Hoopers Brook. Next to that bridge, turn on Warren Pond Road which is posted as “private”. Proceed down this gravel road for 0.3 miles until it becomes an undrivable and bouldery forest trail. You will notice a discrete green sign stating that access to the pond is allowed via permissive trespass over private land. Park your vehicle on the side. The pond is a three-minute walk down the trail. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from the unimproved access point. All anglers should deeply respect these tentative arrangements over private land to ensure future access to this pond.
This first fish proved all my research right!
I have fished all over southern Maine over the last quarter century and am always thrilled to pieces when I discover another hidden gem. And Warren Pond is one of those special locations! The shoreline is totally undeveloped, except for two discrete docks. Not a house is visible from the water. The surrounding area is deeply forested and filled with serenading songbirds. Note that I found this location using my “secret sauce” search strategy. The State stocks this pond each spring with 350 11-inch rainbow trout, which results in a respectable stocking density of about 8 trout per acre. That number gets my attention. I also check the available surface water chemistry data for this pond, which I downloaded from Lakes of Maine, to determine the depth of the thermocline in the summer. I am surprised to learn that this narrow warm-to-cold water transition layer is located rather shallow at 13 to 15 ft. below the surface. The underlying cold water on the bottom also experiences a severe dissolved oxygen deficiency. That pattern only means one thing: all the bows in this pond are forced to hide in the thermocline during the summer, unable to spend any time in the oxygenated but overheated water above or in the cold but oxygen-deficient water down below. That makes it easier to target them this time of the year. This pond is also relatively shallow, with a maximum and mean depth of 32 ft. and 13 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and more (dated) fisheries information. Angling occurs under the general fishing laws applicable to the south zone except that: a) the pond is closed to ice fishing, b) only artificial lures are allowed (e.g., no worms, fish eggs, live or dead baitfish), c) fishing is allowed between October 1 and November 30 using artificial lures only and all trout must be released alive and at once, and d) the pond is closed to all fishing between December 1 and March 31.
This little guy was stocked earlier this spring. Note the conditions: wind still and full sunshine.
I reach the parking area by 6:15 AM and quickly carry my canoe and fishing gear down to the access point. I am on the water and ready to check out this place 20 minutes later. The weather is splendid: full sunshine, air temps in the mid-60’s and forecast to rise into the mid 80’s later today, and wind still. The surface water temperature is a warm 77°F. My strategy this morning is to troll around and across Warren Pond using lead core line to place three small trout spoons two and a half colors (about 14-15 ft. down) below the water surface. Based on the results of my research outlined above, that should place the lures at the correct depth to target the rainbow trout stuck in the thermocline. I also printed out the depth map and used a marker to roughly outline the 25-ft. depth contour. That way, I am not wasting any time figuring out where I need to troll to avoid getting stuck on the bottom.
The last rainbow was the largest of the three. But I have no doubt that much bigger bows reside in these waters!
I get a hook-up 30 minutes later and am super excited to see that I am reeling in a feisty 13-inch bow. Yes! This important signal confirms that a) I am fishing at the correct depth, b) I am using the correct lures, and c) the fish are at their post and willing to bite. I notice that the trout did not fall for the third “straggler” spoon – as is most often the case – but instead grabbed the second spoon in the middle. That too is an important signal. I swap the two spoons to make the middle one the new “straggler”. It is a detail but why not make the attractive lure the easiest one for the fish to grab? I get another three hits and two hookups over the next 1.5 hour of paddling around Warren Pond. The second fish is noticeably smaller and represents one of the 11-inch stockers from this spring. The third one measures 15 inches and represents one of the trout stocked last year. The bite stops after 9 AM when the rising sun floods the area with its harsh light. I enjoy quietly paddling around and observing dozens of tree swallows skipping off the water’s surface. But it is warming up quickly, and my butt is getting sore. I decide to call it good at 10 AM, pleased with the results. My only regret is not to have caught one of the larger bows, which I have no doubt swim around in these pristine waters. I also make a mental note to return here in mid-May with my fly-fishing rod to catch rainbows on the surface using a dry fly. The bottom line is that Warren Pond is a total keeper and well worth a future return visit!
The Thomas T101 1/6 oz. Buoyant trout spoon was the winning lure this morning.
The results: I caught three rainbow trout (largest = 15 inches) in 3 hours of quiet paddling in my canoe.
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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