Fishing for Pond-Dwelling Brook Trout

A high elevation trout pond in the White Mountains

I mostly fish small streams, but I've fished several brook trout ponds this summer. I've found them challenging, but rewarding. Trout in ponds are less spooky than their stream-dwelling relatives, so you can catch fish after fish without putting others down. These trout also have the potential to grow much larger than stream-dwellers, with 12"+ fish common in most ponds.

A small, spring-fed trout pond in southern Maine 

Where to Fish

As long as water temperatures are favorable, trout will tend to hold relatively close to shore. I've found many fish willing to take attractor dries, which leads me to believe terrestrials are an important part of their diet. They also tend to bunch up around inlet streams, which bring both food and cold water. Although these trout are not particularly spooky, they tend to move away from the part of shore where you are standing. It's often best to cast parallel to the shoreline, which has the added benefit of avoiding obstacles in your back cast.

I caught several trout within 10 feet of shore in the area in the center of this picture

Flies

Brook trout in ponds readily take both wet and dry flies. I've found that they particularly like dry flies stripped on the surface of the water. Although they will take a dry fly floated still on the surface, I think the added commotion on the surface is important to help attract the attention of trout lurking in deeper water.

Streamers also work well, especially in deeper ponds. Leeches are common in trout ponds, so wooly buggers and other leech imitations are a good bet.

Locations

The White Mountains of NH are home to many trout ponds. There are 48 ponds stocked with fingerling brook trout by helicopter, and there are many more accessible ponds stocked with larger fish. There are also a few wild trout ponds (like the one above).

Maine has even more trout ponds, most of which contain wild trout. As expected, the northern part of the state is loaded with ponds, but the southern part has its fair share as well, thanks mainly to large aquifers in the sandy soil.

Beaver ponds in small trout streams can be found throughout New England. Although these tend to be small and don't always hold trout, they can provide some awesome fishing when you find a good one.