Little Penobscot Pond in Piscataquis County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Piscataquis County, Maine, sits Little Penobscot Pond. The bank gives way to rolling bush. With some 31 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Head to Millinocket, 23 miles away, for anything you forgot. Lévis sits 123 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Penobscot Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Treat Little Penobscot Pond as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 10°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It holds true on Little Penobscot Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Sing Sing Pond, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Little Penobscot Pond before loading the car.