Boot Pond Fishing in Piscataquis County, Maine

• Overview

  Boot Pond falls in Piscataquis County, part of Maine. Height above sea level is 1,063 feet. Surface area runs to about 16 acres — small enough to read in one session. Greenville at 15 miles is the nearest place to stop. Brownville follows at 15 miles, then Dover-Foxcroft at 17 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Boot Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout, brown trout and Arctic charr. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Boot Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 64°F in July and bottom out at 11°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Boot Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Lost Pond at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Boot Pond may have changed since it was mapped.