General view of Island Pond
Island Pond is a 166-acre body of water which straddles the town lines of Harrison and Waterford, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 10 E5). The pond is located next to Temple Hill Road, off Route 117 (a.k.a. Norway Road). It has an unusually rectangular shape, with a long, narrow and rocky island at the southern end. Public access is available at a traditional carry-in situated on the western side of the pond after driving 0.5 miles on Island Pond Road. This access point is located right before the entrance to the Fernwood Cove Girl Summer Camp. Only hand-carried craft such as canoes or kayaks can be launched at this location due to the lack of a boat ramp. Several cars can park “rough” on the left-hand side of the road across from the access point.
The access point on Island Pond only accommodates hand-carried craft
Island Pond does not have fishing rules for bass. The pond is open year-round to bass fishing, with no size or bag limit. Clearly, the State is trying to thin out the number of largemouth bass. Note that the pond also supports a brook trout population which is maintained via an annual stocking program. Beware that other rules apply to this specific fishery. Click here for more details on the bass and trout regulations. The pond has a maximum depth of 48 ft and an average depth of 16 ft. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.
View down the western shoreline of Island Pond
The shoreline of Island Pond is only lightly build up with houses, mostly on the western side. The girls’ summer camp, with its beach, sail boats, open spaces, cabins, and other facilities represent the most prominent feature. The rest of the surrounding landscape is completely forested. The surface water is clean and clear. I arrive at the access point at 7:30 am. The camp is loud and buzzing with activity because it’s Parents’ Day! The weather is to my liking though: mostly overcast with a light southern breeze. The temperature is in the high 50’s but is expected to rise into the low 70’s later on in the day. I put in my canoe and paddle upwind about halfway down the western shoreline. I let the breeze push me back up so that I can focus on fishing. The western shoreline has the more interesting bass habitat, with depths ranging from 1 to 8 ft and much of the area covered by sparse small-leafed lily pads. The substrate consists mostly of a sandy bottom overlain by a thin layer of organic material.
View down the eastern shoreline with the island in the background
The sun has come out fully from behind the early-morning clouds and brightly illuminates the entire western shoreline. I paddle to the other side of Island Pond to fish in the shadow created by the tall trees along the eastern shoreline. However, this area is much less enticing than the opposite side. It is relatively shallow (< 4 ft) and sandy but lacks the rich aquatic vegetation cover or other structure, besides occasional boulders and patches of plants. The shoreline is also devoid of much holding structure. Another hour of fishing in this general area results in one bass hookup but no fish in the boat. I wish I had more time to probe around the large island at the southern end but I need to move on. I reluctantly turn the canoe around and paddle back to the take-out point to continue my day.
The results: I caught one pickerel and missed three largemouth bass in two hours.
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