Fishing Clayton Pond in Somerset County, Maine

• Overview

  In Maine, Clayton Pond falls inside Somerset County. The bank is 1,470 feet above sea level. Roughly 57 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. About 1.7 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Maine listings. Linière lies 28 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Lévis, 76 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Clayton Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Somerset County include Atlantic salmon, brown trout, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Clayton Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 63°F, while January sits near 8°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Clayton Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. 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. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Fifth Saint John Pond, 2.9 miles away. For Clayton Pond in particular, ask before you travel.