Each and every spring, open water fishing conditions prove extremely unpredictable throughout Aroostook County. Rain, wind, sun and daily temperatures are the forces which control ice out for individual waterways, and of course the intensity of cold and snow during the winter have a notable effect as well. By most standards, the Crown of Maine enjoyed a fairly mild winter and spring seems to be well at hand.
Although most regional brooks and streams have been free of ice for weeks, most remain high, swift, and fairly dirty and have a fair amount of debris. Not the best fishing conditions, but still, anglers find eddies, coves and backwaters where trout school up to avoid the freshet run-off and toss out worms or lures. A few fish are caught, but it will be at least a couple of weeks before local rivers and streams are prime for trolling or wading and casting.
Sometime before mid-May, Aroostook’s large lakes will shed their icy coats one by one and spring trolling will get under way. Trolling streamer flies provides some of the fastest action and often the largest trout and salmon of the year and is much anticipated by area sportsmen. Often overlooked, however, are the small lakes and ponds that clear of ice in late-April and early-May.
There are a handful of these diminutive waterways near every town and village throughout the Crown of Maine. Many are well stocked annually, simple to reach, easy to fish from shore or using a canoe or 12- to 14-foot aluminum boat, and offer steady action when other waterways are slow fishing or not yet able to be fished. Since many of the ponds aren’t open to ice fishing, or get minimal pressure if open, they are currently prime spots for ice-out angling.
Monson Pond in Fort Fairfield received over 2,000 brookies last spring and offers easy launch access for boats and plenty of room to cast bait from public shoreline stretches. The Dorsey Road and Page Road lead to Monson’s northern tip and the boat ramp. An electric motor works fine for trolling flies and colorful streamers like a red and white, Magog smelt or a Colonel Bates on Size 6 or 8, 3X hooks produce well. Red and White Dardevles, Al’s Goldfis and silver super dupers also produce strikes when trolled or cast from the banks.
Presque Isle offers three small, stocked waterways that provide excellent ice out fishing, and are especially good spots for youngsters and novice anglers. Echo Lake in Aroostook State Park, Hanson Lake near the airport, and Arnold Brook Lake off the Chapman and Niles Roads all offer shoreline access, boat launch sites and close parking. All three are stocked with brook trout, 6,000 into Echo Lake last fall, and both Echo and Hanson are closed to winter fishing. This trio of small lakes offer perfect locales for a pre- or post work outing for an hour or two for any outdoorsman in the general Presque Isle area.
Mantle Lake sets in a park atmosphere off Academy Street in Presque Isle. This small pristine pond holds brook trout which are stocked annually for the express purpose of young anglers. Any fisherman younger than 16 years old or older sportsmen who hold a complimentary license can enjoy this quaint urban fishery.
Southern Aroostook anglers should visit Carry Lake in Littleton for brookies or Conroy in Monticello which holds both brook trout and splake. Trolling flies or small lures this month is sure to provide action and the splake may measure 14- to 16-inches. Hodgdon deadwater in the center of this small village south of Houlton offers area fishermen the chance to catch a brown trout, a unique species in this part of Maine.
To the north, Trafton and Durepo Lakes in Limestone were stocked late last fall with brook trout and offer easy vehicle access. Each can be fished from ample shoreline or with a watercraft for trolling, and neither was open to ice fishing so fish should have grown over the winter and be plentiful and hungry this month.
Timoney Lake near Oakfield got 3,000 brookies in October and Cochrane Lake in New Limerick was stocked with 200 splake that were 14-inches last October and had all winter to feed and grow. Each waterway offers trolling and the opportunity to explore spots unreachable by bankside casters.
Aroostook is literally polka-dotted with small ponds and little lakes and many get minimal attention due to the numerous options and that many anglers prefer to visit large lakes. For the next couple of weeks, every day or two a local lake will free up of ice, clear to fishable clarity and offer top rate results for visiting casters and trollers. Visit two or three for a variety of scenery and species while the ice out fun lasts. You won’t be disappointed.
