Fishing at Bartlett Stream Reservoir, Waldo County, Maine

• Overview

  Set in Waldo County, Maine, this is Bartlett Stream Reservoir. Height above sea level is 217 feet. At about 51 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 2.3 miles on foot. The nearest town is Searsmont, 3.7 miles away. Sherbrooke sits 148 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Bartlett Stream Reservoir

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Public occurrence data for Waldo County names brown trout, Atlantic salmon, alewife and smallmouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Bartlett Stream Reservoir the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 19°F in January to roughly 68°F in July. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly mid December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. On Bartlett Stream Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. James Dorso Wildlife Management Area runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Little Pond, 2.1 miles away. Treat access at Bartlett Stream Reservoir as something to verify.