Second Pond in Hancock County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Hancock County entry here is Second Pond, in Maine. What surrounds it is mixed forest. With some 55 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Start from Dedham, 4 miles down the road. Sherbrooke sits 169 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Second Pond

  Depth figures are not published for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Hancock County include Atlantic salmon, brown trout and alewife. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Second Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in January to roughly 68°F in July. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. From about early April to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Second Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Mud Pond at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Second Pond are worth checking on the day.