Big Pleasant Pond, Maine: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Piscataquis County in Maine is where Big Pleasant Pond sits. This is lake country bush country. With some 194 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 2.2 miles on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Piscataquis County list. Millinocket lies 22 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Lévis, 125 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Pleasant Pond

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Piscataquis County include Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The shape of Big Pleasant Pond rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 64°F; by January the average is down near 10°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Big Pleasant Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Spruance Pond, 0.4 miles out. For Big Pleasant Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.