The boat launch is flooded because of the excessive rains from last night
Dutton Pond is a 35-acre body of water located in the town of Knox in Waldo County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 A3). Access to this pond is via Dutton Pond Road, right off Route 137 (Belfast Road). A rough boat launch is located off Dutton Pond Road and can accommodate small trailered boats. Very limited parking is available at the launch (one, maybe two, vehicles but without trailers). Vehicles with trailers can best be parked by Route 137.
Lots of fishing activity on Dutton Pond to my right
I’m visiting Dutton Pond today, hoping to repeat the tremendous fishing I experienced there during the last ice fishing season (click here for details, and to obtain directions and a depth map). As in previous years, the state has nicely stocked this 36-acre body of water with 1-pound and 3-pound brook trout in the fall of 2014, making it an attractive early-season target (click here and here for more details). I get up really early and drive 105 miles (!) one-way to get to this sweet spot. I arrive at 8:15 am, about 30 minutes behind schedule, and am surprised to see around 10 cars and trucks parked alongside Dutton Pond Road. I won’t be fishing alone today…
General view of Dutton Pond under a low-light, leaden sky
Dutton Pond covers 36 acres and is located next to Dutton Pond Road off Route 137 in Knox, Waldo County (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 14 A3). Click here for a depth map and more fisheries information. The pond is quite pretty and feels surprisingly “isolated”, with only two houses visible along the eastern shoreline. This side of the pond appears marshy, but the opposite side is wooded and hilly. I drive 105 miles – one way – to reach this choice spot. Why would anyone go through all of this effort to go ice fishing? The reason is simple: Dutton Pond offers good odds of hooking into a lunker trout during the winter of 2014, but is also stocked with many smaller trout. My hope for today is to catch either a 19” brookie or a 24” brown trout… I arrive at 8 am, park my car on Dutton Pond Road and immediately make my way on the ice. The conditions this morning are to my liking: overcast with flurries in the air. My experience is that low light levels are typically good when ice fishing for trout because the fish stay shallow instead of seeking refuge from the sun in deeper waters. I drill my first hole and am surprised by the 10” of ice, which reflects the harsh winter weather we’ve experienced over the last 2-3 weeks. I’m also in less than 1 ft of water… In fact, I have to move a good 100 ft away from shore before finding 6 ft of water.
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