Fishing at Oak Pond, Washington County, Maine

• Overview

  The Washington County end of Maine holds Oak Pond. The sea is 13 miles distant. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. On size it sits at the modest end of our Washington County list. Nearest place of any size is Cherryfield, 11 miles away. The big place round here is Sherbrooke, 198 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Oak Pond

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Washington County, recorded fish include alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Read Oak Pond before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Oak Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, Bog Brook Flowage is 2.3 miles off. Treat access at Oak Pond as something to verify.