View of the rough launch at the south end of Bowler Pond.
Bowler Pond (a.k.a. Belton Pond) is a 34-acre body of water located in Palermo, Waldo County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 13 A5). The public access is via a rough, unimproved launch found at the southern tip of the pond off Level Hill Road. Someone in the past spread a pile of small boulders on a limited section of the launch, presumably to fix muddy ruts. I was glad to have a four-wheel drive truck to pull my trailered boat out of the water and across these slippery rocks. Beware also that the water by the launch stays shallow for about 30 ft. offshore, which requires backing into the pond a ways to float the boat off the trailer. Of course, this is not an issue if fishing from a canoe or kayak. Parking is quite limited at this location; the narrow road shoulder can accommodate only a few cars. An alternative carry-in access point is found about a quarter mile passed the boat launch off Level Hill Road next to a small sandy parking area.
