Etna Pond is a 361-acre body of water located in Etna, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 22 B3). The public access is found on the western side of the pond. From Route 143 (Lankins Road), look for mailbox #88 next to the Penobscot Valley Calvary Chapel. Turn onto Town Landing Road and drive for 0.3 miles straight to the boat launch. The ramp is improved and can accommodate large boats. Plenty of parking is available.
Look for this sign on Newburgh Road to reach the boat launch on Hermon Pond.
Hermon Pond is a 461-acre body of water located in Hermon, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 22 B5). The public access point is found on the western side of the pond in Hermon Pond Park at the end of Jackson Beach Road off Newburgh Road. The cement boat launch is spacious, and the huge adjoining parking lot can accommodate dozens of vehicles.
View of the short and deep thoroughfare connecting Scraggly Lake to Junior Lake seen in the background.
Scraggly Lake is a 2,758-acre body of water located in Pukakon Township, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 35 A2). The Gazetteer shows an unimproved public boat launch on Hasty Cove off the Amazon Road along the eastern shore of the lake. I do not know the quality of this launch nor how drivable the Amazon Road is during mud season. Feel free to let us know via the comment section below. Instead, I gain access using the public launch on Bottle Lake (see map 35 A1) which connects to Junior Lake via a 1.5-mile-long shallow thoroughfare called Bottle Lake Stream. I then cross Junior Lake and enter Scraggly Lake via a short but deep and wide thoroughfare. The Bottle Lake launch is found at the end of a paved road and remains fully accessible even during the worst of mud season in April and early May when the surrounding gravel roads may be impassable. Duck Lake (see map 45 E1) also has a boat launch which connects to Junior Lake via a 0.3-mile-long unnamed thoroughfare. I have not used this launch before but have motored up from Junior Lake into Duck Lake in early May without a problem. The shallow and bouldery thoroughfares from Bottle Lake and Duck Lake can easily accommodate motorized craft in early spring when water levels are high. However, beware that passage gets trickier later in the year when the water levels drop.
The afternoon turns into a gorgeous and warm experience.
Junior Lake is a 3,866-acre body of water located in Lakeville and Pukakon Township, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 35 A1). This lake does not have a public boat launch. Instead, access is via two launches found on nearby Bottle Lake (see map 35 A1) and Duck Lake (see map 45 E1). The former is connected to Junior Lake via a 1.5-mile-long thoroughfare called Bottle Lake Stream. The latter is connected to Junior Lake via a 0.3-mile-long unnamed thoroughfare. I have used the Bottle Lake launch and not the other but have motored up from Junior Lake into Duck Lake without a problem. The Bottle Lake launch is located at the end of a paved road and is easily accessible even during the worst of mud season in late April and early May when the surrounding gravel roads may be impassable. The shallow and bouldery thoroughfares can easily accommodate motorized craft in early spring when water levels are high. However, beware that passage with an engine gets trickier later in the year when the water levels drop.
Fitts Pond is a 106-acre body of water located in Clifton, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 B5). To reach this location, drive on Route 46 (Javis Gore Drive) and turn into Blackcap Road. Then turn right on Camp Roosevelt Road after a quarter mile. The pond is located about 1 mile down this plowed and well-maintained private gravel road owned by the Boy Scouts of America. This organization manages Camp Roosevelt situated along the eastern shore of the pond. Beware that this road has a gate which is closed during mud season in the spring but is typically open during winter to allow ice anglers direct access to the pond. Unfortunately, for some reason, that gate is closed this morning which requires walking that last mile… I huff and puff pulling my sled on the way in because much of Camp Roosevelt Road is on an incline going up to the pond. Fortunately, it is much easier walking back to the car after ice fishing is done.
This is the largest bass I caught after the first 2.5 hours of fishing. Very frustrating!
The West Branch of the Penobscot River flows through a complex set of reservoirs and hydroelectric dams in the area around Millinocket. My interest this afternoon is on a small section of river that runs between the boat launch off Medway Road and Dolby Pond located about one mile further downstream (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 B4). Note that Dolby Pond is the iconic stump-filled reservoir visible on both sides of Route 11 when driving between East Millinocket and Millinocket. Medway Road starts at Route 11 in downtown Millinocket (look for the Millinocket Municipal Airport sign), loops down towards the Penobscot River, and then rejoins Route 11 about 3 miles further east.
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This boat launch is spacious and provides lots of parking space
I am exploring the smallmouth bass fishery on the Penobscot River in Old town, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 33 E4). My goal this morning is to fish a 1.5-mile stretch of river that runs between Indian Island and Orson Island. I have no idea what to expect because I have never visited this section of the river before. For access to the boat launch, drive north on Stillwater Avenue in Old Town, turn left on Fourth Street, and continue for 0.4 miles all the way to the very end of this street (it’s a dead end). The large and spacious hard-top boat ramp, as well as a grassy picnic area, is on the right, with a huge parking lot to the left.
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The boat launch by Ayers Island is spacious. The fishing hole is located just passed the half-submerged rock visible in the center left of this picture.
I am exploring the Penobscot River in the vicinity of Ayers Island, in Orono, Penobscot County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 A3). My goal this morning is to catch smallmouth bass in the back channel which runs between the mainland and the island, and motor upstream up to the location where the Stillwater River spills over a low dam into the Penobscot River. The outflow of hydrodams represent classic smallmouth bass summer holding habitat (click here, here, here, and here for examples). I do not know what to expect because I have never fished this section of water before. To reach the boat launch, drive down Route 2 north (into Orono), turn right on Island Avenue (just past the Leadbetter’s convenience store) and continue for about 0.1 mile until you hit railroad tracks. Turn right before the tracks and make an immediate left on Union Street. Continue for less than 0.2 miles until you see the access point on the left. The launch is hard-topped and wide, and offers plenty of parking space, as well as a small picnic area.
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You have reached your destination!
The central section of the Penobscot River between Orono (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 A3) and Medway (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 B5) is considered a premier smallmouth bass fishery in the state of Maine, on par with the choiciest locations on the Kennebec River (click here, here, here, and here for details). My focus this morning is on a section of water flowing through the town of Howland below the confluence of the Penobscot River with its smaller cousin, the Piscataquis River. I’m eager to explore this segment because I have never visited or fished it in the past.
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Antony’s first-ever river smallie! We celebrated this catch to loud acclaim!
The central portion of the Penobscot River flowing between Orono (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 23 A3) and Medway (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 43 B5) is considered a premier smallmouth bass fishery in the state of Maine, on par with the choiciest locations on the Androscoggin River (click here, here, here, here, and here for examples). The focus of my attention this afternoon is on a section of water flowing through the town of Greenbush. The river in these parts meanders past a dozen or so large wooded sandy islands, which create interesting and diverse habitats that attract large numbers of smallmouth bass.
I’m not finding the depth we need to catch larger fish…
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