Ice Fishing Hotspots

Editor’s note: This ice fishing report was prepared by state fisheries biologists and technicians listed below who oversee fisheries management throughout the state. The Sporting Journal is indebted to these dedicated men and women who oversee and manage Maine’s fabled and valuable sport fishery. Tight lines and check the ice before you venture forth!

Sebago A

Where to Fish: As we transition to the ice fishing season, many anglers start by targeting waters that typically freeze early. This often means smaller ponds, many of which have trout stocking programs. Otter Ponds #2 and #4 (Standish), Chaffin Pond (Windham), and Knight Pond (South Berwick) all receive multiple stockings of brook trout in the fall, with the bonus that all of these ponds are open to harvest in December. Once January rolls around and larger waters typically have better ice, many of our lakes offer the chance to catch multiple trout species in one trip. Try Bryant Pond (Woodstock) for brook trout, splake, and landlocked salmon or Upper and Middle Range Ponds (Poland) for brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, and lake trout.

– Nick Kalejs

Belgrades B

Small Brook Trout Ponds: These smaller trout ponds are well-stocked with brook trout, and can offer a great fishing opportunity whether you’re on the ice or casting from shore. Several of these ponds are stocked with brook trout of multiple sizes; with fish ranging from 8-18+ inches.

• Ross Pond (Bristol)
• Tolman Pond (Rockport)
• Levenseller Pond (Searsmont)
• Pinkham Pond (Alna)
• Charles Pond (Georgetown)
• Knight Pond (Northport) – Brand new stocking program!
• Bartlett Pond (Livermore)
• Dutton Pond (Knox)

Messalonskee Stream (Oakland, Waterville): If the weather isn’t cooperating and we’re still lacking ice, central Maine anglers should give Messalonskee Stream a try. It’s open to year-round fishing, gets well stocked, and we see occasional larger fish drop down from Messalonskee Lake. You’re likely to catch various sizes of brook trout, splake, and brown trout. We’ve heard of some really nice brown trout caught in Messo Stream the last few years!

 

January Fishing Report

Upper and Lower Narrows (Winthrop): If you’re looking for a chance to catch some nice salmon and trout and not travel far from Augusta, you should try Upper and Lower Narrows. In addition to being well-stocked with brook trout, you have a chance to catch some beautiful lake trout and landlocked salmon. We surveyed the salmon population here this fall and they look great with several fish over 20 inches and 4+ pounds! If you’re looking for panfish, the white perch are huge and gorgeous here.

Wassookeag Lake (Dexter): Wassookeag Lake continues to grow really nice landlocked salmon, and it has a robust population of wild lake trout. There are good numbers of salmon between 17-20 inches, and the occasional 20+ incher. It’s always possible to catch a big lake trout here as well as the occasional cusk. Our staff will be conducting a winter survey on Wassookeag this winter, so you’ll likely see us out there. We are a bit concerned with the number of black crappie that we’ve encountered on Wassookeag, and the potential negative impacts this invasive species could have on the salmon and trout fishery. Several that we’ve collected had stomachs full of smelt, which may be causing additional competition for important forage for salmon and lake trout. If you happen to fish Wassookeag, please feel free to keep any black crappie that you catch. We’re trying to collect a robust sample of these fish to better understand their age, growth, and food habits. If you’re willing to part with those fish, we’ll take them to our lab for further analysis.

Some quick tips to make a successful ice fishing trip:

• If you’re fishing for brook trout, stay shallow and use small bait!
• Try to fish low-light times (early morning or late afternoon).
• Dress in layers and be prepared for changing conditions.

– Jason Seiders

Grand Lake C

January

I know January has not been ideal for ice anglers in the Downeast region for the past few seasons. But we are going to be positive and have good vibes going into the new year. Once the calendar flips to 2025, let’s cross our fingers that there will be fishable ice throughout the region and state.

Where to Fish:
If you are itching to catch lake trout through the ice this January (I know I am!), choosing a lake in the interior part of the Downeast Region is a safer bet for the early part of January. Although access can be tricky, West Musquash Lake in Talmadge has been producing reasonable catch rates and fat lake trout for anglers who make the trip. The lake’s salmon population is thriving, so setting some salmon traps would be advisable.

Over in Hancock County, recent trapnetting efforts have confirmed that the lake trout population at Hopkins Pond in Clifton is thriving. The relatively small water has a healthy population of lakers, averaging 18 to 25 inches. Respectable-sized fish that will be around for anglers to catch. Also, don’t forget about setting a trap for brook trout in Hopkins Pond! Most trout caught in the winter are 12-15 inches.

Fishing tip:
If targeting lake trout, don’t be afraid to move around to find the fish. If you have any sonar (flasher or even live scope), bouncing around to different depths and locations can be effective if the lakers are not actively moving as much as we’d like, and you can tell right away if fish are “on the screen.”

-Jake Scoville

Rangeley D

Wilson Pond in Wilton and Webb Lake in Weld are local favorites, both waters are open to ice fishing January 1st – April 30th. Wilson Pond is stocked annually with brook trout and salmon and supports a wild lake trout population. Webb Lake is stocked with brook trout, salmon, and brown trout.

Fisheries biologists are currently studying the brook trout populations in both lakes using Floy tags. These small fluorescent tags are inserted behind the dorsal fin, each tag has a unique identification number that allows biologists to track individual fish through angler reports. If you catch a tagged fish, we encourage you to take a photo of the tag ID# and report your catch online. Each tag provides a web address for easy reporting. Please note that Floy tags are not GPS-enabled or transmitters, so the data collected relies entirely on public participation. All information is confidential and used solely to support fish population management, which helps enhance the fishing experience for everyone.

If Wilson and Webb aren’t near you there are plenty of other great ice fishing opportunities in the region. Try Hancock Pond in Embden, it supports healthy populations of salmon, lake trout, and brook trout. Access to the pond is easy from the state boat launch off the Embden Pond Rd. The road to the boat launch is gated during the winter and mud season but can be traveled by foot or snowmobile.

-Dylan Whitaker

Moosehead E

Where to fish: The past few years we have seen a slow start to the season on our large hardwater fisheries that open on January 1st. Not due to the lack of fish, but the lack of ice! Last year was the first time in my 24 years of conducting winter creel census on Moosehead Lake that I did not venture north of the back side of Mt. Kineo due to bad ice conditions. It was also the first time during my tenure the snowmobile trail that transverses the ice from the Rockwood parking lot over to Mt. Kineo, then to the Birches Resort, so to divert snowmobile traffic north of the inlet of the Moose River in Rockwood, was not marked due to poor ice. The ice conditions seen the last few years should be of concern to those anglers enjoying the improvements in the fishery we have experienced the last decade on Moosehead Lake. Bad ice conditions reduce the winter use and in turn results in a lower harvest rate of lake trout during the winter. To compound these recent shortened seasons due to bad ice conditions, during the 2024 ice fishing season we estimated that anglers released 70% or 4,100 small lake trout less than 18 inches that they caught. Based on decades of creel census surveys and harvest estimates, we need anglers to harvest 3,000- 4,000 of these lake trout less than 18-inches during the ice fishing season so we can continue, at a minimum, to see stable growth rates on our landlocked salmon and brook trout and to maintain an adequate forage base (a.k.a. smelt) that will maintain this growth. Even with a 5-fish daily bag limit on lake trout under 18-inches, anglers only harvested an estimated 1,800 fish under 18-inches during the 2024 ice fishing season on Moosehead Lake. The bottom line is Moosehead Lake needs help from the “Angling Public”.  If anglers want to continue to see quality landlocked salmon and those monster brook trout, then anglers need to harvest more lake trout from Moosehead Lake!

Fishing tips: The hardwater season is the best time for anglers to help achieve this request by Regional Fisheries Biologists to harvest more lake trout from Moosehead Lake. The average winter lake trout harvest on Moosehead Lake is roughly 72% of the total annual harvest. Lake trout are most susceptible to angler harvest during the ice fishing season. The novice hardwater angler can have relatively good success at catching lake trout on Moosehead Lake. With easy public access points located around the lake at Greenville Junction, Rockwood Landing, and Lily Bay State Park anglers have secure starting points to start their hardwater journey on Moosehead Lake.

– Stephen Seeback

 

Penobscot F

Maine’s weather in the month of December can often wreak havoc on the psyche of ice anglers. While convention calls for dreams of a white Christmas, ice anglers wish nothing more than a full month of bone-chilling, teeth-chattering temperatures.  For them, a thick layer of solid ice formed in December equates to a safe, traditional January 1 opening day of ice fishing season.  Although we’ve had relatively mild winter weather so far this season, colder temperatures are certain to arrive soon.

There are a few smaller waters in the Penobscot Region that historically freeze over with sufficient ice early in the season, though caution is urged, and are also open to ice fishing in December.  Brave anglers might want to try Wiley Pond in Patten.  This 32-acre pond was stocked in November with fall-yearling brook trout averaging 13″ in length as well as some retired brood stock brook trout averaging 18″.  Hay Lake in T6 R8 WELS got a fall stocking of brook trout as well as landlocked salmon and is a good early season destination.  A couple other waters to target in December (if conditions allow) and early January are Middle Oxhead Pond in T40 MD which is also stocked with fall yearling brook trout, and the perennial Bangor-area early season favorite, Perch (Mud) Pond in Old Town.  Much like Wiley Pond, Perch Pond is also stocked with both fall yearling brook trout and some larger retired brood stock brook trout.  Anxious anglers won’t need to wait until January 1 as all the above-mentioned ponds are open to ice fishing in December, however, keep in mind all have a two trout bag limit to help spread the catch to as many anglers as possible. In 2023 we removed all Special Regulations on Little Round Pond in Lincoln and changed it to General Law. Little Round was formerly open to only children under 16 during the ice fishing season, but since the regulation change in 2023 the pond is now open to any licensed angler and 5 lines may be used and a 5 trout bag limit observed.

For those thinking about more traditional ice fishing starting January 1st, you should look to Deering Lake for early season salmon and brook trout fishing.  Cold Stream Pond in Enfield is another good early season water with lake trout, brook trout and landlocked salmon all present.  East Musquash Lake (Topsfield) and Duck Lake (T4 ND) both provide quality landlocked salmon and brook trout fishing.

– Kevin Dunham

Fish River G

December weather in Northern Maine has been warm so far but enough cold, calm nights have produced some ice on smaller, shallower waters.  However, a mid-December rain storm with near 50 degree temperatures may wipe out any progress we’ve made on having our lakes and ponds ice over.  Very few rule changes will be in effect for northern Maine this coming winter.  Rule changes will be available soon in the new rulebook.

December waters to fish:

Scopan Lake, Masardis etc.; splake, brook trout, landlocked salmon but this fishery is mostly splake; this is an excellent water to fish for smelt during early season
Trafton Lake, Limestone; brook trout; this water was recently open to ice fishing and has both wild and stocked trout

Arnold Brook Lake, Presque Isle; brook trout; this water is popular for ice fishing with easy access
Umcolcus Lake, T7R5 WElS; brook trout; this water is more remote and has both wild and stocked trout

Tips: For early season brook trout, focus on shallow (2-4 ft), rocky areas with either worms/crawlers or live fish as bait (if rules allow

January waters to fish where there is normally safe ice by January 1st:

• Portage Lake, Portage; brook trout, landlocked salmon, smelt  and several species of warmwater fish
• Drews Lake, Linneus;  brown trout, splake and several species of warmwater fish
• Cross Lake, T17R5; brook trout, salmon, smelt and several species of warmwater fish

– Frank Frost

For more articles about hunting, fishing and the great outdoors, be sure to subscribe to the