Fishing Pennington Pond in Aroostook County, Maine

• Overview

  Aroostook County, Maine, is where Pennington Pond sits. It lies 909 feet above sea level. With some 54 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Bank access stretches around 1.6 miles in total. Nearest town is Fort Kent, 22 miles off. Haut-Madawaska follows at 23 miles, then Frenchville at 25 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pennington Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Aroostook County: Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Pennington Pond to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 64°F in July and bottom out at 6°F in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Pennington Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. There are toilets half a mile off. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Lost Pond at 3.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Pennington Pond are worth checking on the day.