Fishing at Hay Pond, Piscataquis County, Maine

• Overview

  You will find Hay Pond in Piscataquis County, Maine. Pine and birch runs right down to the water. It covers about 16 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Patten, 38 miles away. Then Millinocket, 48 miles, and East Millinocket, 53 miles. In the same area: May Pond 0.7 miles away, 0.8 miles out stands Snowshoe Pond, Carpenter Pond 1.1 miles away, 1.2 miles out stands Line Pond and Pretty Pond 1.8 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Hay Pond

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Piscataquis County list Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout, brown trout and Arctic charr. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Hay Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 64°F and January near 8°F on the long-run figures. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Look for the thaw near late April; the fishing lifts straight after. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on Hay Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. May Pond, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Hay Pond.