Fishing at Stetson Pond, Franklin County, Maine

• Overview

  Stetson Pond belongs to Franklin County, Maine. It sits in pine and birch. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. You are 7 miles from Phillips. For a city, Sherbrooke is 79 miles off. Also within reach: Mud Pond the better part of 0.6 miles, Lufkin Pond 0.9 miles away, Harvey Pond the better part of 1.3 miles, South Pond 4.2 miles away and Toothaker Pond the better part of 4.2 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Stetson Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Franklin County include Atlantic salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Stetson Pond fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 13°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Stetson Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Mud Pond sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. For Stetson Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.