Fishing at Bell Pond, Piscataquis County, Maine

• Overview

  Bell Pond is set in Piscataquis County, Maine. The surface lies 1,175 feet up. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Piscataquis County list. The closest town, Patten, is 21 miles away. For a city, Lévis is 122 miles off. Not far off: Russell Pond 1.2 miles, Deep Pond at 1.4 miles, Turner Deadwater 1.6 miles, Long Pond at 2 miles and Weed Pond 2.1 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Bell Pond

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Piscataquis County include Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout and brown trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The shape of Bell Pond rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 63°F on average, January about 9°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late November in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Bell Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Baxter State Park covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Russell Pond, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Bell Pond is worth confirming on the day.