Birch Harbor Pond in Hancock County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Birch Harbor Pond falls in Hancock County, part of Maine. Everything around it is mixed forest. It covers about 19 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is low-lying compared with other Maine water we list. Start from Gouldsboro, 6.1 miles down the road. Bar Harbor follows at 7 miles, then Steuben at 9.5 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Birch Harbor Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Being tidal, the water moves twice a day, and the fishing moves with it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, brown trout and alewife. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Birch Harbor Pond before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 21°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Birch Harbor Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Picnic facilities are recorded some half a mile out. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Forbes Pond at 3.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Birch Harbor Pond are worth checking on the day.