Downeast Fishing Report: January 26, 2007
Winter has finally arrived and with it the long sought after ice coverings on the Downeast area’s lakes and ponds. Biologists this past weekend found many eager anglers making their first trips of the season. Biologists reported that most regional water that are 1,000 acres and below are fully covered with 3 to 6 inches of ice. Some of the larger coastal lakes in the region are still treacherous with large areas of open water and thin ice conditions. Waters such as Tunk Lake, Donnell Pond, Gardner Lake, Green Lake, Branch Lake, Long Pond and Jordan Pond all have portions of unsafe ice or large areas of open water, so caution is advised if attempts are made to fish these popular waters.
As many anglers know, the first few weeks after the safe ice has formed is the best time to fish with many ready takers of all species giving fishermen fast action. Washington and Hancock counties hot spot where anglers will want to concentrate as follows:
Washington County:
Keenes Lake — Calais — Brook Trout
Goulding Lake — Robbinston — Brook Trout
Keely Lake — Marshfield — Splake and Brook Trout
Indian Lake — Whiting — Brook Trout
Montegail Pond — Centerville — Brook Trout
Pleasant River Lake — Beddington — Splake
Big Lake — T 27 ED — Salmon
Pocumcus Lake — T 6 ND — Salmon, Whitefish & Togue
West Musquash Lake — Talmadge — Togue
Pennamaquan Lake — Charlotte — Brown Trout
Foxhole Pond — Deblois — Brook Trout (*Children’s only water)
Hancock County:
Lower Hadlock — Northeast Harbor — Brook Trout
Bubble Pond — Bar Harbor — Brook Trout
Echo Lake — Southwest Harbor — Brook Trout & Salmon
Jacob Buck Pond — Bucksport — Brook Trout & Splake
Craig Pond — Orland — Brook Trout
Anderson Pond — T 10 SD — Brook Trout
Second Pond — Dedham — Brook Trout
Molasses Pond — Eastbrook — Brown Trout & Salmon
Donnell Pond — Franklin — Salmon
Beech Hill Pond — Otis — Salmon & Togue
Brewer Lake — Orrington — Salmon
Eagle Lake — Bar Harbor — Salmon & Brook Trout
Phillips Lake — Dedham — Salmon
Fitts Pond — Clifton — Splake
These waters are predicted to produce fair to fast fishing in the early season but please use caution when venturing out on any of the lakes and pond in the Downeast region, especially around known spring holes, inlets, outlets, saddle areas and in northerly wind fetch areas where breezes are funneled between mountains and keep surface waters moving, making thin ice conditions and pockets of open water.
Be safe and enjoy winter’s opportunities in Maine’s beautiful outdoors!