Fishing at Perley Pond, Cumberland County, Maine

• Overview

  Perley Pond falls in Cumberland County, part of Maine. The water sits 420 feet up. Surface area is around 25 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The nearest town is Hiram, 6.9 miles away. Manchester is the closest city, 74 miles away. More in the same country: Mariner Pond after 1.4 miles, Cold Rain Pond at about 2.1 miles, Browns Pond after 3 miles, Peabody Pond at about 3.2 miles and Fitch Mill Pond after 3.2 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Perley Pond

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Cumberland County include brown trout, Atlantic salmon, blueback herring and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Perley Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 18°F in January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Perley Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The water borders Northwest River Wildlife Management Area, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Mariner Pond is 1.4 miles off. The position on Perley Pond is worth confirming on the day.