Fishing at Ackley Pond, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Ackley Pond lies in Washington County, Maine. It stands 102 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Washington County. Head to Machiasport, 8.6 miles away, for anything you forgot. East Machias lies 9.3 miles off, Machias another 12 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Ackley Pond

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and Atlantic cod. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Ackley Pond repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 19°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Ackley Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is Great Pond, 3.9 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Ackley Pond.