Fishing at Big Reed Pond, Piscataquis County, Maine

• Overview

  Big Reed Pond is a Piscataquis County water, in Maine. It sits at 1,132 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 96 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 1.6 miles keeps the choices simple. Nearest place of any size is Patten, 38 miles away. After that come Millinocket at 51 miles and Saint-Pamphile at 54 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Big Reed Pond

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Piscataquis County names Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout, brown trout and Arctic charr. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Big Reed Pond for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 64°F at the top of summer and 8°F at the bottom of winter. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late April. On average, late April opens the water and late November closes it again. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Big Reed Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Reed Deadwater at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Big Reed Pond for certain.