Tag Archives: Cumberland County

TOP Brook Trout Ponds for the 2016 Spring Fishing Season in Cumberland County, Maine

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This blog identifies the TOP ponds in Cumberland County, Maine that provide the best odds of catching brook trout during the spring of 2016. A pond is considered TOP due to its trout stocking density: after all, everything else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of pond, the greater the chances of catching those fish! All of these ponds cover less than 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the fishing slows down in response to rising surface water temperatures. Some of the ponds described below were stocked last fall but are closed to ice fishing. Others are stocked once early in the spring or several times in April and May. More details are provided in the stocking reports compiled by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Click here for the latest law book about special fishing rules that may apply on these ponds. Note that the list of TOP brook trout ponds excludes “kids only” ponds.
The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2016 spring fishing season in Cumberland County are listed below in alphabetical order:

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Ice fishing for brook trout on Sand Pond in Baldwin, Maine (February 27, 2016)

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Glare ice and unlimited sunshine on Sand Pond

Glare ice and unlimited sunshine on Sand Pond

Sand Pond is a 61-acre body of water located in the town of Baldwin, Cumberland County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 D4). The access point, which contains a sturdy boat launch, is located by the town-owned beach at the southern end of the pond next to Sand Pond Road off Route 107 (Bridgton Road). I’m selecting this pond because it is relatively small and therefore contains safe ice even though we’ve had a warm “El Ninjo” winter, but also because it was stocked last fall with larger trout (click here for details). Sand Pond is typical of the many popular put-and-take lakes scattered around the region. Heavier trout are stocked each fall in these waters to support a winter and spring fishery with the understanding that these fish do not survive the summer because the ponds are too shallow and the water column gets too warm. Sand Pond has a mean and maximum depth of 9 ft and 20 ft, respectively. Click here for more details on the fishing rules that pertain to this pond. Click here for a depth map and additional fisheries information.

 

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Kids ice fishing for brook trout on Lower Hinkley Pond in South Portland, Maine (January 23, 2016)

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We set up camp close to the dam

We set up camp close to the dam

Lower Hinkley Pond is a small 2-acre body of water located in South Portland, Cumberland County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 73 H5). The pond is situated in Hinkley Park right off Highland Avenue and is the first pond closest to the parking lot. Plenty of parking space is available. Note that Lower Hinkley Pond is a “KIDS ONLY” pond with a Special Regulation code of S-9 (i.e., open to fishing only to persons under 16 years old; restricted to two lines per person; daily bag limit for trout is two fish). The pond, which has a maximum depth of 8 ft, is a shallow reservoir created by the impoundment of Kimball Brook. A depth map is not available. The state stocks this pond each fall with a boatload of brookies to create fast fishing action for kids. Keep in mind that Hinckley Park is well used by the local community of dog owners. The dogs typically run around without a leash, and some of the animals invariably amble on the ice to pay a visit.

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Best ice fishing ponds for catching large trout in Cumberland County, Maine (winter of 2016)

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This blog highlights the ponds in Cumberland County which provide the best odds of catching larger stocked trout during the 2016 ice fishing season. About 15 ponds open to ice fishing in this county are stocked with trout each fall. Most of these fish are relatively small (7” to 12”), but plentiful, in order to provide fast action. The state also spiced up some of the ponds with larger trout, which are defined here as fish measuring 13” or more, and weighing at least 1 pound.

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TOP brook trout ponds for the 2016 ice fishing season in Cumberland County, Maine

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The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2016 ice fishing season in Cumberland County are highlighted below (in alphabetical order). A pond is considered “top” based on its stocking density. Simply put, the more trout are packed per acre, the higher the chances of catching them through the ice!

 

For the purpose of this blog, I’ll define a brook trout pond as a body of water with a surface area of less than 100 acres which is stocked in the fall with hatchery-reared brook trout to support ice fishing. These ponds tend to freeze over early in the season and are typically safe to fish well before the bigger lakes become accessible. This provides early-action opportunities for those of us (myself included!) who just can’t wait to get the hard-water fishing season going. Click here for tips to increase your chances of catching more brookies through the ice.

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Lake trout fishing on Sebago Lake, Cumberland County, Maine (November 1, 2015)

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The sun playing with shadows and the shoreline of Sebago lake

The sun painting shadows along the shoreline of Sebago lake

Sebago Lake is the Crown Jewel of southern Maine’s lake region. The two key salmonid species in this system are the landlocked Atlantic salmon and the lake trout. My goal this afternoon is to help my 12-year old nephew Christian catch a salmon! I haven’t introduced him yet to salmon fishing, but we’ve talked many times in the past about the exhilaration of hooking one of those beauties: the bite, the fight, the jumps, and the excitement of it all. I’d love for him to make that experience, because he’s more than ready for it. I’ve trained him for a while now to fish with lead core line for white perch and bass. He has clearly shown the tenacity and shear doggedness required to troll the big water for landlocked Atlantic salmon.

 

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Trout fishing on the Pleasant River, Windham, Maine (October 17, 2015)

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A quiet morning fishing for trout on the Pleasant River while leaf peeing. What a combination!

A quiet fall morning trout fishing on the Pleasant River while leaf peeping… How better does life get??

The Pleasant River is a major tributary of the Presumpscot River. It originates in Gray and flows in a south-westerly direction to its confluence with the Presumpscot located at a spot a few miles downstream of Dundee Pond in Windham. A favorite stretch of the Pleasant River flows from Route 302 by Foster Corner to Pope Road, located about 1.5 miles further downstream (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D2 and D3). This is the stretch I am exploring this morning with Christian, my 12-year old nephew. He’s excited about this trip because he has never used waders before and it will also be his first time fishing for trout using spinners, instead of worms and bobbers. I’m lending him one of my spare waders. We get a good laugh during the pre-fishing fitting session at home when we realize that the top of the waders hit his chin! He looks like an oversized gnome with hanging skin but he takes it all in good strides.

 

 

 

 

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Smallmouth bass fishing on Panther Pond, Raymond, Maine (September 5, 2015)

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The fog over Panther Pond is being burned off by the rising sun

The fog over Panther Pond is being burned off by the rising sun

Panther Pond is a 1,439-acre body of water located in Raymond, Maine (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 C2). Access is via an unimproved dirt launch located right before the outlet dam on Mill Street. This launch, which can accommodate larger power boats, is rather steep with a surface consisting of sand and rocks. It can be useful to use a 4X4 vehicle to launch and retrieve motored vessels from this location. Parking for trailered vehicles is “rough” on the side of the road; space is available for only a handful of cars or trucks. A small parking area is located on the opposite side of the dam but can only hold vehicles without trailers. An alternative access option is to release a boat at the official hard-top launch on the southern tip of Crescent Lake (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B2) and navigate into Panther Pond via the Tenney River.

 

 

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Lake trout fishing on Sebago Lake, Maine (July 4, 2015).

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Splashing in the water at one of the beaches at Sebago Lake State Park

Splashing in the water at one of the beaches at Sebago Lake State Park

The glorious July 4th weekend is once again upon us all. My family is spending the long weekend camping at Sebago Lake State Park, located at the north end of Sebago Lake (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 C5). Things are quite hectic at camp, with the grandchildren running around, and the grilling, swimming, and socializing. My son Joel and I decide to get up at 5:30 am and sneak out for a couple of hours of lake trout fishing before the bulk of the family wakes up and gets ready for breakfast. At this time of the year, the lake trout have abandoned the warm shallow waters (click here for details) and seek refuge in the ice-cold waters (< 50°F) found below the thermocline. This layer represents the sharp temperature boundary between the less-dense warmer surface waters and the denser and much colder water in the deep zone. I do not know exactly how far down the Sebago Lake thermocline is located. A high-quality fish finder should show a faint line on the screen representing the boundary where the change in water density is most abrupt; my fish finder mustn’t be sensitive enough because I can’t pick up the thermocline…. Based on the presence of numerous fish marked in 40 to 80+ ft of water this morning, I’m guessing that the thermocline is around 30-40 ft deep, which makes sense based on a review of historic summer water-column temperature data for Sebago Lake published online. Note that the thermocline, once it is fully established in early summer, might move deeper by a few feet but is otherwise extremely stable and constant until late fall (with a few limnological exceptions, which I will not bore you with…).

 

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Brown trout fishing on Crystal Lake, Gray, Maine (May 30, 2015)

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General view of Crystal Lake

General view of Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake (a.k.a. Dry Pond) is a 189-acre body of water located in Gray, Cumberland County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 B3). This relatively small lake is heavily developed, particularly along its western shoreline, but sustains a popular regional salmonid fishery consisting of rainbow trout, brown trout and brook trout. The state stocks the lake annually with these three species to sustain their populations. It is also the location for a popular annual ice fishing derby (click here for more details) attended by several thousand people each year. A hard-top boat ramp is located at the southern end of the lake off Mayberry Road. The town of Gray also maintains a public beach and swimming area right next to this ramp. Ample parking is available across from the launch. All in all, this lake is a busy spot but well worth a visit in the spring on account of its superb trout fishing. I’ll note here that, in the past, I have caught rainbow trout trolling on this water body well into July, which is evidence of the high quality of this fishery. Crystal Lake has a maximum and average depth of 59 ft and 25 ft, respectively. Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information.

 

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