Fishing Keyes Pond in Oxford County, Maine

• Overview

  Keyes Pond stands in Oxford County, Maine. It sits in rolling bush country. Around 192 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 2.4 miles of margin, front to back. Supplies mean a trip to Lovell, 3.7 miles off. Further out sit Harrison (7.3 miles) and Bridgton (8.1 miles). A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Keyes Pond

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Oxford County include brown trout, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Keyes Pond repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 68°F, the coldest about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Keyes Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Black Pond at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Keyes Pond.