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Home > Laws and Rules > Fishing > Open Water Fishing Laws and Rules > Hancock County

Hancock County

See general law fishing provisions.

Exceptions below - Special Rules (S-Codes) are listed at the bottom of this page.

Abrams Pond, Eastbrook. S-24. All bass caught must be released alive at once.

Alamoosook Lake, Orland. S-24.

Allen Pond, T35 MD. S-24.

Alligator Lake, T28 MD, T34 MD. S-21, S-22. All landlocked salmon between 16 and 20 inches must be released alive at once.

Anderson Pond, T10 SD. S-19.

Bagaduce River, that portion of the Bagaduce River and tributaries upstream of the North Brooksville-Sedgwick bridge in Penobscot, Brooksville and Sedgwick, including Walker Pond, Parker Pond and Snow Cove Brook: closed to the taking of alewives.

Baker Brook, T28 MD, T29 MD. (See Washington County).

Beech Hill Pond, Otis. S-13, S-28. Daily bag limit on togue: 6 fish. Minimum length limit on togue: 14 inches; only one may exceed 23 inches.

Birch Harbor Pond, Winter Harbor. S-19. Motorboats prohibited.

Blacks Pond, Sedgwick. S-24.

Bogus Meadow Pond and tributaries, T7 SD. S-4.

Bracey Pond, T34 MD. S-24.

Branch Lake, Ellsworth. S-2, S-3, S-16. All brown trout must be released alive at once.

Branch Pond (Lower Middle), Aurora. S-24.

Branch Pond (Upper Middle), Aurora. S-19.

Brandy Pond, T39 MD. S-24.

Breakneck Ponds, Lower and Upper, Bar Harbor. S-24.

Brewer Lake, (See Penobscot County).

Bubble Pond, Bar Harbor. S-19, S-24. Motorboats prohibited.

Burnt Pond, Otis (just south of Beech Hill Pond). S-4, S-24.

Burntland Lake, T35 MD. S-16, S-24.

Burntland Pond, Stonington. S-13, S-24.

Chain Lakes, Middle & Upper, T4 ND. S-26.

Chalk Pond, Beddington, etc. S-24.

Craig Pond, Orland. Closed to the taking of togue.

Crystal Pond, T40 MD. S-4, S-24.

Debec Pond, Amherst. S-17.

Deer Lake, T34 MD. S-24.

Donnell Pond, T9 SD, Franklin. S-13, S-22.

Duck Lake, T4 ND. S-19. Closed to the taking of togue.

Duck Pond, Franklin. S-24.

Ducktail Pond, Amherst. S-6, S-18.

Eagle Lake, Bar Harbor. S-19, S-24. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Eagle Lake, T34 MD. S-24.

Echo Lake, Mount Desert, etc. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited. S-16, S-24.

Echo Lake, Little and tributaries, Mount Desert. S-16.

Fifth Lake Stream, Hughes Brook, and other tributaries, T35 MD, T36 MD, T41 MD, T42 MD. S-6, S-17.

First (Billings) Pond, Blue Hill. S-16.

Flanders Pond, Sullivan. S-24.

Floods Pond, Otis. Closed to all fishing.

Forbes Pond, Gouldsboro. S-17, S-24.

Fox Pond, T10 SD. S-19, S-24.

Gassabias Lake, T41 MD. S-24.

Georges Pond, Franklin. S-24, S-25.

Giles Pond, Aurora. S-24.

Goose Pond, Dedham. S-24.

Goose Pond, Swans Island. S-4, S-17.

Gould Brook, T28 MD, T34 MD. S-14. Maximum length limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout: 25 inches.

Great Pond, Franklin. S-24.

Great Pond and Main Stream, downstream of the Stud Mill Road Bridge in Great Pond Township. S-24, S-25.

Green Lake, Ellsworth, Dedham, etc. S-2, S-3, S-10, S-25. Minimum length limit on togue: 23 inches.

Green Lake #1, T35 MD (south of the Stud Mill Road). S-24.

Hadlock Pond, Upper, Mt. Desert. S-6, S-16, S-24. Tributaries closed to all fishing. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Hadlock Pond, Lower, Mt. Desert. S-24. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Halfmile Pond, Aurora. S-4, S-10, S-16. Minimum length limit on togue: 23 inches.

Halfmile Pond, Amherst. S-17.

Halfmoon Pond, Bar Harbor. S-24.

Hamilton Pond, Bar Harbor. S-25.

Hancock Pond, Bucksport. S-24.

Harriman Pond, Dedham. S-16. Motorboats over 6 horsepower prohibited.

Hatcase Pond, Dedham. S-4, S-16. Fishing and boating prohibited within 2,000 feet of the intake of the Brewer Water District.

Heart Pond, Orland, S-18.

Hodgdon Pond, Tremont, Mt. Desert. S-24.

Hopkins Pond, Mariaville. S-10, S-19.

Horseshoe Lake, T35 MD. S-24.

Hurd Pond, Dedham. S-24.

Jacob Buck Pond, Bucksport. S-21, S-24.

Jellison Hill Pond, Amherst. S-24.

Jones Pond and tributaries, Gouldsboro. S-24.

Jordan Pond, Mt. Desert. S-2, S-24, S-28. Daily bag limit on togue: 6 fish. Minimum length limit on togue: 14 inches, only 1 may exceed 23 inches. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Kilman Pond, T4 ND. S-26.

King Pond and tributaries, Great Pond Plantation. S-1, S-6, S-18.

Lake Wood, Bar Harbor. S-24. Motorboats prohibited.

Lead Mountain Pond, Lower and Middle, T28MD. S-24.

Lead Mountain Pond, Upper, T22 MD, T28 MD. S-2, S-3, except that smelts may be taken from the unnamed tributary which originates at Pinnacle Mountain and flows into a cove at the northeast corner of the pond. S-24.

Leonard Lake, Ellsworth. S-24.

Lily Pond, Deer Isle. S-24.

Lily Pond, Gouldsboro. S-13, S-24.

Little (Horseshoe) Pond, Franklin. S-6, S-16.

Little Pond, Great Pond. S-24.

Long Pond, Seal Harbor. S-4, S-19. Minimum length limit on trout: 8 inches.

Long Pond, Sullivan. S-4, S-16.

Long Pond, T10 SD. Open to open water fishing from April 1 to October 31: S-6, S-13. All trout caught must be released alive at once.

Long Pond, Bucksport. S-24.

Long Pond, Little, T10 SD. S-16.

Long Pond and tributaries, Aurora, Great Pond. S-1, S-6, S-21.

Long Pond and tributaries, Mt. Desert, Southwest Harbor. S-13, S-22, S-24.

Loon Pond, T40 MD. S-4, S-24.

Lovejoy Pond, T34 MD. S-16.

Lurvey Brook, Mt. Desert, etc. Closed to all fishing.

Machias Lake, Fourth, T41 MD. (See Washington County).

Molasses Pond, Eastbrook. S-13, S-24.

Moosehorn Stream, Bucksport. S-24.

Morancy Pond, Sullivan, T7 SD. S-24.

Moulton Pond, Dedham. Motorboats over 10 horsepower prohibited.

Mountainy Pond, Dedham. S-17.

Myrick Pond, T10 SD. S-4.

Narraguagus Lake, T16 MD, T10 SD, T9 SD. S-16.

Narraguagus River, including Third Lake and Twenty Eight Pond, T34 MD, T35 MD, T28 MD. Maximum length limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout: 25 inches. From outlet of Deer Lake in T34 MD downstream to point where river crosses over into Washington County in T29 MD: S-14. Taking of fi sh is prohibited except by use of a single hook on a line.

Narraguagus River, West Branch, and tributaries, T22 MD, T16 MD, Beddington. Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish, minimum length limit: 8 inches. Maximum length limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout: 25 inches. From the headwaters down to junction with Spring River: S-6.

Nicatous Lake, T40 MD, T3 ND. S-24.

Noyes (Norris) Pond, Blue Hill. S-4.

Orland River, Orland, Bucksport. From the outlet of Alamoosook Lake down to the dam in Orland, open to open water fishing from January 1 to December 31. S-19.

Oxhead Pond, Lower and Middle, T40 MD. S-24.

Oxhead Pond, Upper, T40 MD. S-6, S-16, S-24.

Partridge Pond, Amherst. S-6, S-16.

Patten Pond, Lower including tributaries and outlet, Surry, Ellsworth. S-2, S-3, S-13, S-24. All brown trout caught must be released alive at once.

Patten Pond, Upper, Orland, Ellsworth, Surry. S-24.

Phillips Lake and tributaries, Dedham. S-24, S-28. Daily bag limit on togue: 6 fish. Minimum length limit on togue: 14 inches, only 1 may exceed 23 inches. Minimum length limit on landlocked salmon: 14 inches, only 1 may exceed 16 inches. All brown trout caught must be released alive at once.

Pickerel Pond, T32 MD. S-11, S-24.

Pierce Pond, Penobscot. S-24.

Pistol Lakes (Lower, Middle, Side and Upper), T3 & T4 ND. S-26.

Quarry Pond, Sullivan. S-24.

Rainbow Pond, T10 SD. S-24.

Rift Pond and tributaries, Great Pond Plantation, S-1, S-6, S-18.

Ripple Brook, from outlet of Long Pond to Ripple Pond, Mount Desert. Closed to all fishing.

Ripple Pond and tributaries (except Ripple Brook), Mount Desert. S-13.

Rocky Pond, Orland. S-24.

Rocky Pond, Otis. S-24.

Rocky Pond, T22 MD. S-24.

Rocky Pond, Little, Ellsworth, Dedham. S-24.

Round Pond, Little, Mount Desert. S-24.

Round Pond and outlet, T10 SD. S-13, S-16.

Round Pond and tributaries, Mount Desert. S-13, S-19, S-24. Motor boats prohibited.

Sabao Lake, Lower, T35 MD. S-24.

Sabao Lake, Upper, T41 MD. S-24.

Salmon Pond, T10 SD. S-19, S-24.

Scammon Pond, Eastbrook. S-24.

Seal Cove Pond, Tremont. S-24. Motor boats with more than 10 horsepower prohibited.

Second (Douglas) Pond, Blue Hill. S-13.

Second Pond, Dedham. S-19, S-24.

Silver Lake, Bucksport. S-24.

Simmons Pond, Hancock. S-6, S-17, S-24.

Sinclair Brook, T29 MD. S-14.

Snowshoe Pond, Amherst. S-4.

Somes Pond, Mount Desert. S-24.

Spectacle Pond, Osborn Plantation. S-24.

Spring Pond, T3 ND. S-24.

Spring River, T16 MD. Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish, minimum length limit: 8 inches.

Spring River Lake, T10 SD. S-24.

Springy Pond, Lower, Otis. S-16, S-24.

Stiles Lake, T35 MD. S-24.

The Tarn, Bar Harbor. S-24.

Third (Woods) Pond, Blue Hill. S-13.

Thurston Pond, Bucksport. S-24.

Tilden Pond, T10 SD. S-19, S-24.

Titcomb Pond, T32 MD. S-24.

Toddy Pond, Orland, etc. S-2, S-3, S-15, S-19, S-24.

Torry Pond, Deer Isle. S-24.

Trout Pond, Amherst. S-24.

Trout Pond, T40 MD. S-4, S-19, S-24.

Tunk Lake, T7 SD, T10 SD, Sullivan. S-1, S-3, S-16, S-22, S-28. All landlocked salmon between 16 and 20 inches must be released alive at once. Daily bag limit on togue: 6 fish. Minimum length limit on togue: 14 inches, only 1 may exceed 23 inches.

Tunk Pond, Little, Sullivan. S-4, S-13, S-24.

Tunk Stream, T10 SD, Cherryfield, Steuben. S-13.

Union River, Ellsworth.

1) from Graham Lake dam down to Ellsworth dam: open to open water fi shing year round: S-19.

2) from Ellsworth dam down to the south side of the U.S. Route 1 bridge: from April 1 to September 30, S-5. Closed to all fishing is an area on west side of the river marked by a red line on the spillway of the above named dam and extending diagonally downstream to a red marker on west shore; closed area includes powerhouse and adjacent fishway and trap.

Unknown Lakes (Lower & Middle), T4 ND. Closed to the taking of bass.

Walkers Pond, Brooksville, Sedgwick. S-2, S-3, S-24. Closed to the taking of alewives.

Webb Pond, Eastbrook, Waltham. S-24. Daily bag limit on bass: 1 fish; minimum length limit on bass: 18 inches.

Webb Pond, Little, Waltham. S-24.

West Lake, T3 ND, etc. S-2, S-3, S-13, S-19, S-24. Except tributaries in the area of the lake known as “The Basin” are open to the taking of smelts.

Wight Pond, Penobscot, Blue Hill. S-24.

Williams Pond, T28 MD. S-24.

Williams Pond, Bucksport. S-24.

Witch Hole Pond, Bar Harbor. S-6, S-19, S-24. Fishing restricted to 1 line. Motorboats prohibited.

Youngs Pond, Otis. S-5, S-17, S-24.

Special Regulations (S-Codes)

Waters that have exceptions to the general law are listed by county. In most cases, the exception will be one of the codes listed below and may affect only a portion of the regulations that govern that particular body of water, i.e. only the bag limit on salmon is different from the general law in which case it would read as follows: Smith Pond, Anytown. S-22. All other provisions of general law would apply.

S-1: Closed to the taking of smelts.

S-2: Closed to the taking of smelts, except by hook and line.

S-3: Tributaries closed to the taking of smelts.

S-4: Use or possession of live fish as bait is prohibited. (The use of dead fish, salmon eggs, worms are permitted.

S-5: Fly fishing only.

S-6: Artificial lures only.

S-7: Boundary waters with New Brunswick.

S-8: All trout less than 6 inches and longer than 12 inches must be released alive at once.

S-9: Border waters with New Hampshire.

S-10: Daily bag limit on togue: 1 fish.

S-11: Fishing restricted to persons under 16years of age; daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish.

S-12: No longer used.

S-13: No size or bag limit on bass.

S-14: No bag limit on pickerel. From July 1-September 30, artificial lures only and minimum length limit on trout: 8 inches.

S-15: Daily bag limit on togue: 3 fish; minimum length limit on togue: 14 inches, only one may exceed 18 inches.

S-16: Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish; minimum length limit: 12 inches, only 1 may exceed 14 inches.

S-17: Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish; minimum length limit: 10 inches, only 1 may exceed 12 inches.

S-18: Daily bag limit on trout: 1 fish, minimum length limit 18 inches.

S-19: Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish.

S-20: Daily bag limit on white perch: 25 fish.

S-21: Daily bag limit on trout: 1 fish, minimum length limit 14 inches.

S-22: Daily bag limit on salmon: 1 fish.

S-23: No longer used.

S-24: Extended Season - Remains open to fishing from October 1 - December 31; artificial lures only; all trout, salmon, and togue must be released alive at once.

S-25: Daily bag limit on bass: 2 fish; all bass between 13 and 18 inches must be released alive at once.

S-26: Indian Territory Regulations.

S-27: All fish caught must be released alive at once.

S-28: Togue do not count towards the 5 trout and salmon, in combination, daily aggregate bag limit.