Squirrel Pond in Aroostook County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Aroostook County, Maine. It sits at 1,214 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 46 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Roughly 1.7 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Some 41 miles away sits Saint-Pamphile, the nearest settlement. Haut-Madawaska lies 48 miles off, Fort Kent another 49 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Squirrel Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Aroostook County records list Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, brook trout, lake whitefish and Arctic charr among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Squirrel Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 7°F in January and 63°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Squirrel Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Long Pond, 1.2 miles away. Check the position on Squirrel Pond before loading the car.