Fishing at Longley Pond, Piscataquis County, Maine

• Overview

  Longley Pond is one of the Piscataquis County waters in Maine. Height above sea level is 997 feet. At 760 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The shoreline runs about 4.6 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Piscataquis County list. Linière sits 48 miles from the bank. Patten follows at 49 miles, then Greenville at 49 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Longley Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Piscataquis County records list Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Longley Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 65°F and January near 9°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That is the shape of the year on Longley Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Little Longley Pond is 2.5 miles off. Confirm before you fish Longley Pond.