Shed Pond Fishing near Manchester, Maine

• Overview

  Out in Kennebec County, Maine, sits Shed Pond. The surface lies 358 feet up. It measures about 51 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. There is roughly 1.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The nearest place of any size is Manchester, 2.6 miles away. Readfield follows at 4.8 miles, then Augusta at 5.8 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Shed Pond

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Kennebec County, recorded fish include brown trout, Atlantic salmon, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and black crappie. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Read Shed Pond before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 69°F in July and bottoms out near 18°F in January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. At Shed Pond the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Gannett Woods runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Carleton Pond is 1.7 miles off. Rules at Shed Pond are worth checking on the day.