Carlton Pond Fishing near Troy, Maine

• Overview

  The Waldo County entry here is Carlton Pond, in Maine. The coast is 24 miles away. The water covers around 328 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The shoreline runs about 5.9 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Head to Troy, 3.2 miles away, for anything you forgot. Sherbrooke sits 137 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Carlton Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Across Waldo County, recorded fish include brown trout, Atlantic salmon, alewife, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Carlton Pond the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 17°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around early April to about early December in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Time your trip to Carlton Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Carlton Pond Waterfowl Production Area covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Round Pond sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Carlton Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.