Fishing at East Pike Brook Pond, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  Set in Washington County, East Pike Brook Pond is a Maine water. The country round it is rolling bush from end to end. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Washington County list. You are 7.5 miles from Cherryfield. Addison is 11 miles away, with Milbridge at 12 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on East Pike Brook Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Washington County include alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The near bank of East Pike Brook Pond is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 17°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on East Pike Brook Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Spring Hole Pond, 0.4 miles away. Rules at East Pike Brook Pond are worth checking on the day.