The launch at Piper Pond can accommodate large boats. The public beach is right next to it.
Piper Pond is a 420-acre body of water located in Abbot, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 31 B3). The access point is found next to the public beach at the northern end of the pond, right off Pond Road. The launch is solid, has a dock and a porter-potty in the summer, and can accommodate large, trailered boats. Plenty of parking is available by the beach area.
View of Bennett Pond from the outlet.
Bennett Pond is a 36-acre body of water located in Parkman, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 31 C4). To reach this location from Parkman, drive south on Route 150, turn left on Crow Hill Road and drive on it for 0.3 miles, then turn right on Bennett Pond Road. The pond will appear on the left after 0.9 miles. The public access point is by the outlet next to the road. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location. Several vehicles can be parked by the launch site.
A gorgeous view of First Davis Pond from the boat launch. And, oh, that is another reason for calling it the Golden Hour!
First Davis Pond is a 128-acre body of water located in Guilford, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 31 B5). To reach this pond from Guilford, drive north on Route 150 (Blaine Avenue) and turn right on Davis Pond Road. Drive for 0.3 miles until you reach the public boat launch located on the western side of the pond. The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer does not show this access point. The cement launch can accommodate trailered boats, but is sandwiched between two properties. Parking is very limited to two – maybe three – vehicles with trailers. It is not possible to turn a vehicle with a trailer in that limited space without entering one or the other adjacent private properties. The alternative is to back up several hundred feet to where the short road to the launch splits off from Davis Pond Road and turn over there. Keep those limitations in mind when planning a fishing trip at this location. Fortunately, that is not my problem this morning because I am fishing from my canoe.
Garland Pond is a 28-acre body of water located in Sebec and Dover Foxcroft, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 32 B2). To reach this pond, drive on Milo Road (Routes 6 and 16), turn on Parsons Landing Road towards Sebec Lake, and look for Garland Pond Road on the right. That road provides access to the southern shore of the pond but is private. Instead, the public access point (which is not shown on The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer) is found at the end of an unnamed dirt road that begins just 15 ft. passed Garland Pond Road and goes towards the western end of the pond. Plenty of parking is available by the launch.
Shirley Pond is a 60-acre body of water located in the town of Shirley, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 41 E2). To reach this location, drive north on Routes 6/15 (Greenville Road) towards Greenville and take a left on Upper Shirley Corner Road. Drive towards Shirley Mills for less than 2 miles. The pond will appear to your right after passing two stop signs. The public access point is by a small public park right before the outlet. Space is available to leave a few vehicles by the park. Access to the water is down a steep slope.
Doe Pond is pretty and the ice is safe!
Doe Pond is a 54-acre body of water located in the town of Monson, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 31 A3). To reach this location from downtown Monson, drive on Blanchard Road for about 2.4 miles, turn right on Doe Pond Access Road and drive down this dirt road for 0.4 miles until you see the blue boat launch sign. Turn left and drive for about 300-400 ft until you reach the public access point (note: the last 100 ft of the trail to the pond is blocked off to prevent launching of trailered boats during the open-water season). I do not know if or how well Doe Pond Access Road is plowed in the winter. That is not an issue this morning because the ground is not covered by any snow.
The trail to Grassy Pond is easy and pretty.
My 16-year-old nephew Matt flew in from away to spend time in Maine learning how to fish. He expressed an interest in catching native brook trout after hearing some of my tall tales on the subject. But where can a novice angler go to catch native brookies in early August?? I need to find a place where a) the water temperature stays cool enough in the summer to draw trout to the surface, b) these trout can be caught using artificial lures (not fly fishing), and c) proper lure presentation is optional (not stream fishing). I settle on Grassy Pond in Baxter State Park (BSP). This 26-acre water body is found right off the Appalachian Trail about 1 mile south of the Katahdin Stream campground off the Park Tote Road (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 50 D4). Access is via a well-marked trail that starts at the parking area on the Tote Road. It takes about 20 minutes of easy walking to reach this destination. Note that the pond does not fall under the “special fishing laws”, meaning that it can be fished under the “general fishing laws” which are less restrictive.
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Look for this sign on the Park Tote Road for the trail to Round Pond.
Round Pond (a.k.a. Caverly Pond) is located in the southern portion of Baxter State Park (BSP) in Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 51 D1). To reach this location, drive 1.1 miles on the Park Tote Road from Togue Pond Gate, the southern entrance to the park. Look for the brown “Kettle Ponds Trail” sign on your right. Very limited parking is available on the road shoulder. The pond is located about 600 ft. down a well-maintained trail. One can rent a locked BSP canoe at the put-in for 1$ per hour. Talk to the Togue Pond gate attendant to obtain the keys, if interested. I do not require this option because I brought my own craft. I do note that the BSP canoe does not have swimming vests or paddles, which the user needs to provide.
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The boat launch by the dam is spacious.
Lower Wilson Pond is a 1,380-acre body of water located just east of the municipal airport in Greenville, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 41 D3). This lake has two public boat launches. I use the one at the southern tip by the dam off E Road (note: E Road is renamed the Katahdin Iron Works Road a mile or two further east). The hard-top launch is spacious, can accommodate large boats, and offers plenty of parking. The entrance to the launch is clearly marked by a large sign on E Road.
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Shadow Pond is an 18-acre body of water located in Greenville, Piscataquis County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer Map 41 D2). The public access point is off Rockwood Road (Route 6/15) which runs right along the northern tip of the pond. Only hand-carried craft can be launched from this location.
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