Tag Archives: Kennebec County

Largemouth bass fishing on Minnehonk Lake in Mount Vernon, Maine (August 14, 2016)

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The public boat launch on Minnehonk Lake is one busy place this afternoon!

The public boat launch on Minnehonk Lake is one busy place this afternoon!

Minnehonk Lake is a 99-acre body of water located in Mount Vernon, Maine (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 A3). The public access is located at the northern tip of the lake off Main Street in the downtown area. Be aware that this access point is a busy place on summer weekends, with local residents swimming, picnicking and socializing. The launch is not hard-topped or improved but can easily accommodate small motorized boats. Plenty of parking is available on Main Street for cars without trailers. However, no spaces exist for vehicles with trailers, which have to be squeezed on the road shoulder. Also, be aware that it is tricky backing up a vehicle with a boat trailer into position to go down the launch because all of that maneuvering must occur right in the middle of Main Street.

 

 

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Brook trout fishing on Tyler Pond in Manchester, Maine (April 9, 2016)

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The entrance to Tyler Pond is clearly visible from Summerhaven Road

The entrance to Tyler Pond is clearly visible from Summerhaven Road

Tyler Pond is a 22-acre body of water located in Manchester, Kennebec County (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 B5). The clearly-marked public access point is reachable from Summerhaven Road. Two parking areas are available, depending on the season. The first one is in front of a gate. That gate is locked when I arrive. I suspect that one of its purposes is to prevent the public, during mud season, from driving down – and damaging – the dirt road linking the first parking lot to a second one located next to the pond. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the gate to the pond (stay to the right when the gravel road splits about 1000 ft past the gate). Only hand-carried craft can be used on this water because a boat launch is not available. I choose this pond because it is well stocked with brookies (click here for details) and is managed to produce a trophy brook trout fishery. As a result, the fishing rules are strict: (a) the pond is closed to ice fishing, (b) only artificial lures are allowed, and (c) the daily bag limit on trout is two fish, with a minimum length of 12” and only one trout can exceed 14”.

 

 

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Brook trout fishing on Kimball Pond in Vienna, Maine (April 2, 2016)

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View of Kimball Pond from the rough boat launch

View of Kimball Pond from the rough boat launch

Kimball pond is a 55-acre body of water located in the town of Vienna in the far northwestern fringes of Kennebec County. The public access point is located off Kimball Pond Road. It consists of a rough unimproved boat launch best used for dispatching a canoe or a kayak, although one could launch a small trailered boat in a pinch. I selected this pond because it is well stocked with brookies (click here for details) and is managed especially to produce a trophy brook trout fishery. As a result, the fishing rules are strict: (a) the pond is closed to ice fishing, (b) only artificial lures are allowed, and (c) the daily bag limit on trout is two fish, with a minimum length of 12” and only one trout can exceed 14”.

 

 

 

 

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

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This blog identifies the TOP ponds in Kennebec 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: everything else being equal, the more brook trout that are stocked per acre of water, the greater the chances of catching those fish! Most of the target ponds are below 50 acres and are therefore relatively small. Trout activity typically peaks between late April and early June, after which the bite slows down due to rising surface water temperatures. Click here for the most-recent stocking report 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 Kennebec County are listed below in alphabetical order:

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

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This blog highlights the ponds in Kennebec County which provide the best odds of catching larger stocked trout during the 2016 ice fishing season. About two dozen 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 Kennebec County, Maine

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The TOP brook trout ponds for the 2016 ice fishing season in Kennebec 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! Note that only a handful of ponds are listed below because most of the stocked water bodies in Kennebec County are quite large, resulting in low trout densities.

 

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 about 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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Largemouth bass fishing on Mosher Pond, Fayette, Maine (September 26, 2015)

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View of Mosher Pond from the access point off Chesterville Ridge Road

View of Mosher Pond from the access point off Chesterville Ridge Road

Mosher Pond (a.k.a. Lane’s Pond) is a 76-acre body of water located in the town of Fayette (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 A1). One access point I found is located on Chesterville Ridge Road (also called Mosher Pond Road in Google Maps) at the very southern tip of the pond. Only small hand-carried craft can be launched from this point. Plenty of parking is available alongside the road.

 

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Brainard Pond, Readfield, Maine (September 26, 2015)

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The access point to Brainard Pond. The fog on the water is so thick that the pond, located right behind Christian, is invisible!

The access point to Brainard Pond. The fog on the water is so thick that the pond, located right behind Christian, is invisible!

Brainard Pond is a 20-acre body of water located in the town of Readfield (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 B4). I found one access point as follows: turn on Plains Road from Route 17, drive north on Plains Road for just under 0.5 mile and look for an unnamed gravel road on the left. You’ve gone too far on Plains Road if you pass Brainard Road. Turn left on the gravel road and go straight unto a forest path when the gravel road veers to the left after about 0.1 mile. The pond is located 0.3 miles further down this path. It looks rough and overgrown but my small front-wheel-drive car made it in and out fine. I did walk first all the way to the pond and back just to make sure that I wouldn’t get stuck! I’m assuming for the purpose of this blog that this access is legitimate because it was not posted anywhere along the way. You can leave your car in the woods about 200 ft from the pond. Only small hand-carried craft can be launched from this point.

 

 

 

 

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Largemouth bass fishing on Little Cobbosseecontee Lake, Winthrop, Maine (September 19, 2015)

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The access point along Route 202 is a challenge to get in and out of.

The access point along Route 202 is a challenge to get in and out of.

Little Cobbosseecontee Lake is a 75-acre body of water located in the town of Winthrop, Maine (see The Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 C4). Public access to this pond is a real problem. The “boat launch” is situated by the outlet which flows underneath Route 202. This road is a major motorway into and out of Augusta located less than five miles away. The traffic is incessant and flying by at 55+ MPH. The boat and all the fishing equipment needs to be heaved over the road safety railing and down the rip-rap boulders towards the three large culverts. Needless to say, only hand-carried craft can be launched from this point. There’s ample parking on the road shoulder. Please keep in mind that this access is NOT kid-friendly!

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Largemouth bass fishing on Jimmie Pond, Manchester and Farmingdale, Maine (September 19, 2015)

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The public access point to Jimmie Pond can only accommodate hand-carried craft

The public access point to Jimmie Pond can only accommodate hand-carried craft

Jimmie Pond (a.k.a. Jamie’s Pond) is a 107-acre body of water located in the towns of Manchester and Farmingdale, Maine (see the Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 12 C4). This pond is at the core of the 915-acre Jamie’s Pond Wildlife Management Area, which is owned and operated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (click here for details). The pond and its surrounding land was formerly the property of the Hallowell Water District which supplied drinking water for the nearby town of Hallowell. As a result of this historic use, the pond’s shoreline has remained largely undeveloped, thereby providing an unusually unspoiled setting within a stone’s throw of downtown Augusta. The land surrounding the pond supports various outdoors activities throughout the four seasons (click here for details). The public access to this pond is located by the former pump house at the end of Jamies Pond Road (off Outlet Road). The access point consists of a hard launch but only hand-carried craft can be released because the launch is blocked by two massive boulders. A review of the fishing rules, and searching on the internet, does not suggest that gasoline-powered engines are forbidden on the pond.

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