A gorgeous view of Minnehonk Lake during the Golden Hour!
Minnehonk Lake is an 85-acre body of water located in Mount Vernon, Kennebec County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 A3). The boat launch, which is not shown in my 2019 edition of the Gazetteer, is located at the northern tip of the lake, off North Road and across from the fire station. The launch is narrow and sandy but can accommodate trailered boats. Parking is limited to a few vehicles along the road shoulder.
The fog has burned off, the sun has risen high in the sky, and I am still waiting for my first fish…
Minnehonk Lake is small but pretty. Its northern and eastern shorelines are well developed with houses and cabins, whereas its western shoreline is only lightly developed because Pond Road runs right along the water. Fortunately, that road is only slightly traveled this morning so that the traffic is not a distraction. I used my proven search strategy to identify this location for salmonid trolling in the summer. I ice fished it last winter but got skunked and want to give this place another try. Because the upper water column is still relatively warm, I need to ascertain the presence of a thermocline in mid- to late September, and its dissolved oxygen status. I obtain that precious information from Lakes of Maine. Looking across several years of water quality data, the information shows the presence of a thermocline from about 18-20 to 24-26 ft. deep where the temperature drops by around 15°F in a matter of a couple of feet. But the lower end of that narrow water layer can have an oxygen deficiency. I will therefore place my lures in water 20 to 23 ft. deep because I surmise that this is the depth where the trout are most likely hiding this time of year. The lake is stocked annually with brook trout and splake (a hybrid species obtained by crossing a lake trout with a brook trout). Depending on the year, the splake are stocked at a density of between 2 to 4 fish per acre, which is low but typical for this species. Angling at this location occurs under the applicable South Zone fishing rules. This water body as a mean and maximum depth of 32 ft. and 73 ft., respectively, making it remarkably deep for its relatively small size. Click here for a depth map and (dated) fisheries information. Before leaving home, I printed out this depth map and circled the 30-ft. depth contour, so I know exactly where to troll. The entire northern two thirds of the pond will be my hunting grounds.
That is the only fish I was able to scare up this morning. Note the forked tail: that makes this fish a splake and not a brook trout.
I arrive at the boat launch of Minnehonk Lake at 6:10 am, eager to fish the early-morning Golden Hour when the trout are actively chasing breakfast, and light levels are low. Sun rise occurs at 6:25 am in a cloudless blue sky. It is a nippy 39°F and I am layering up to stay warm. The contrast between the relatively warm water (67°F) and cold air above it creates a nice fog vibe, which is so typical for this time of the year (click here and here for examples). I use my usual paraphernalia when trolling for salmonids: a portable downrigger fished with a spinning rod trailing three small spoons tied back-to-back, and lead core line fished with an 8-weight fly fishing rod trailing three small streamer flies tied back-to-back. I hold the fly rod in my hands and gently rip the line to give random action to the flies below. This lake supports a healthy smelt population, so I make sure to include smelt-imitating spoons and streamer flies. It takes about 30 minutes to make one complete loop around this small lake. I have not gotten a single hit 1.5 hours, and a full change of lures, later. This pattern is not looking good…
The only fish this morning was caught using this diminutive Mooselook Wobbler spoon.
The fog has lifted, and the sun has risen above the tree line along the eastern shoreline, flooding Minnehonk Lake with its harsh light. I have to do something else if I want to improve my odds. I already swapped my lures for new ones, and going below the thermocline risks fishing oxygen-depleted water. Instead, I place the lures on the downrigger 18 ft. (instead of 22 ft.) deep, and the lures on the lead core line 16 ft. (instead of 21 ft.) deep, i.e., at or just above the thermocline. Ten minutes later, my spinning rod starts shaking, announcing the presence of a customer down below. Yes! I swing the rod to unclip the fishing line from the downrigger and am underwhelmed by the fish at the other end. It turns out to be a 13-inch splake which fell for the third (“straggler”) spoon represented by a diminutive, 2-inch, Mooselook smelt-imitating Wobbler. Since that is the one and only signal I have received all morning long, I decide to remove the three streamer flies that have done nothing for me, and replace them with three additional 2-inch Wobblers. I restart my trolling with renewed hope, but do not get any more action over the next hour or so. This is so frustrating! I call it good at 9:30 am, disappointed with the results. While taking out my boat, I talk to a local home owner about fishing on this lake. He mentions that Minnehonk Lake has a well-deserved reputation of being slow at giving up its salmonids. That makes me feel a little bit better…
The results: I caught one tiny splake (13 inches long) in 3 hours of slooow 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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