Mount Zircon Reservoir, Maine: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Oxford County, Maine. Everything around it is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 19 acres — small enough to read in one session. Rumford sits 4 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Sherbrooke is the closest city, 90 miles away. Close by you also have: Joes Pond within 2.6 miles, Concord Pond out at 3.8 miles, Little Concord Pond within 4.5 miles, Abbotts Pond out at 5.3 miles and Shagg Pond within 5.4 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Mount Zircon Reservoir

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. County-wide records name brown trout, Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Mount Zircon Reservoir is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 15°F at the bottom of winter. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Mount Zircon Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The water borders Water Supply Land, so reserve rules are likely to apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Joes Pond is 2.6 miles distant. For Mount Zircon Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.