Maine ponds are confusing...

[Gunflint]

It seems to a remote Minnesotan that Maine's ponds are confusing.

First of all when is water a "lake" and when is it a "pond?"

Second, I see a post about the GREAT pond act allowing pond access, presumably to GREAT ponds. The not so great ponds must be excluded.

Third, I see a post of Class D Ponds. Presumably there are also Class A, B, and C ponds but we don't hear about them. Maybe only the Class A Ponds are GREAT and the ponds of lesser alphabet don't make the grade. and then there are lakes.....

Very confusing to an outsider.

[JDK]

A Great Pond is a natural body of water larger than 10 acres or, if artificially formed, 30 acres (with a stipulation about ownership).

[jethro]

Maine's regulations are famously complex.

[Gunflint]

Maine's regulations are famously complex.

Not only the regulations...

The terms the ice fishing guys use for their water also seem famously complex. We have lakes in Minnesota. Simple....

[Seamonkey84]

Not only the regulations...

The terms the ice fishing guys use for their water also seem famously complex. We have lakes in Minnesota. Simple....

I never understood what the people who did the naming were considering ponds/lakes. There doesn’t seem to be any definition they were going by, just what they referred to it as and it stuck. The classification like “D” ponds were part of an older system of regulations where “A” ponds had these rules, “B” would have another set of rules, etc.
the regulations change all the time too. anyone fishing in Maine is basically inviting a ticket or loss of license and gear if you don’t read through the whole regulations book, especially the “laws and definitions” part. For example, in Maine, all fish your not going to release immediately must be killed immediately. No use of livewells/stringers to see if you catch a bigger one later.  gafts are not allowed on inland waters, chumming is not allowed. All baitfish must be from within Maine, and only specie on the approved list, dead or alive.
There are many waters that if you catch a salmon, your not allowed to pull it out of the water at all

[Gunflint]

Wow!!

It is probably the best way I know of to keep your fishing waters to yourselves.

Is there an official guide that lists:
  -  Great Ponds
  -  Class A Ponds
  -  Class B Ponds
  -  Class C Ponds
  -  Lakes

I have complained about poorly worded rules in Minnesota, but I stand thankful now for what we have.

Even though our license plates read "Land of 10,000 Lakes," we are prone to understatement and a 1968 survey actually found 15,291 lake basins.

In any case, that is probably why the number of lakes/ponds is not listed on the Maine license plate.  It would be too long and complicated to write:

"Maine, the land of 1,200 Great Ponds, 576 Class A Ponds, 2,698 Class B Ponds, 1,345 Class C Ponds, and 523 Lakes."

[jethro]

Gunflint, what are you trying to determine with the class of lakes? While the regulation book is complicated, I have never not found all the info I have needed to fish in Maine and I fish there almost as much as I do my home state. I don't remember ever having to worry about the class of a lake.

[Gunflint]

Gunflint, what are you trying to determine with the class of lakes? While the regulation book is complicated, I have never not found all the info I have needed to fish in Maine and I fish there almost as much as I do my home state. I don't remember ever having to worry about the class of a lake.

I was simply trying to make sense of ponds from reading the various posts over the past few weeks. We don't do that in Minnesota and as it became more complicated I began to find the concept a bit amusing. I love the guys in Maine and they seem the most familiar the stuff I deal with when I fish up near the Canadian border. But every once in a while they bring up a "Maine" thing that I can't relate to like "Smelt Camps" near the ocean (that even served as the basis of an animated film on Smelt Camps). Similar, but they have their eccentricities. 

[Seamonkey84]

It all had to do with fishing season and use of bait. We don’t even have those classifications anymore. Great ponds refers to size of the pond, it has to do with what’s considered a “private” small pond on a property, or if its public waters surrounded by private land. Just read what the current laws are and stick to places with public access. Any waters with special regulations will be listed in the book along with their regulations, otherwise it’s general law. The regulations are basically all about protecting trout and salmon waters. the state basically couldn’t care less about anything else except dealing with them as invasive species.

[Alex Delarge]

Many an outsider has come to Maine because they like it a lot. The first thing they try to do is change things.

[Gunflint]

It all had to do with fishing season and use of bait.

That makes sense.

Trout and salmon are the only native species? 

Wow.  No native pike, walleye, perch, crappies, burbout on the inland lakes?

[Seamonkey84]

That makes sense.

Trout and salmon are the only native species? 

Wow.  No native pike, walleye, perch, crappies, burbout on the inland lakes?

Just perch, both yellows and white, burbout, and For sunfish we have pumpkinseed and redbreast, then we have pickerel and bullheads.

Everything else you listed are and more invasive or not present, Bass aren’t native but are managed somewhat in the southern part of the state, treated as invasive in the norther counties.

[Gunflint]

Just perch, both yellows and white, burbout, and For sunfish we have pumpkinseed and redbreast, then we have pickerel and bullheads.

Everything else you listed are and more invasive or not present, Bass aren’t native but are managed somewhat in the southern part of the state, treated as invasive in the norther counties.

Wow again. The whole works is covered by "inland species not listed above  -  Unlimited." Does that mean you can spear, use multiple hooks etc. in the "inland species?"

I thought Pickerel were so similar to Pike as to not matter much.  Is there is a big difference?

[Seamonkey84]

Wow again. The whole works is covered by "inland species not listed above  -  Unlimited." Does that mean you can spear, use multiple hooks etc. in the "inland species?"

I thought Pickerel were so similar to Pike as to not matter much.  Is there is a big difference?

No, still covered by general law, which limits to one baited hook per line (unless fishing for smelt, any by catch would need to be released), spearing/bow fishing is limited to suckers only.
 Pickerel are the pikes smaller cousins, ones over 20” are considered big, 25”+ are rare. Lots of fun on light gear or through the ice.

[fishlessman]

a 27 inch trophy sized pickerel doesnt eat 6 pound salmon

[Gunflint]

I love you guys from Maine!  Visited there a few times driving through. The coastline is similar the the North Shore of Lake Superior (only ours is fresh water and yours is salt).

I think one of the GREAT ideas that impacted me was that you outlawed Billboards on the freeway. It was delightful to have advertising disappear and see the forest and countryside once we left Massachusetts and NH. I would love to have that happen here.

What is the ratio for catching Lake Trout vs. Salmon?  Are Salmon considered more valuable and the Pinnacle of fishing? Personally I would rather eat/catch Lake Trout than Salmon (we have them in Lake Superior).

Thanks

[Seamonkey84]

Our salmon are what people would usually prefer to eat. Ours are of the Atlantic (land locked) variety. The salmon seem harder to target too.

[lynng]

It seems to a remote Minnesotan that Maine's ponds are confusing.

First of all when is water a "lake" and when is it a "pond?"

Second, I see a post about the GREAT pond act allowing pond access, presumably to GREAT ponds. The not so great ponds must be excluded.

Very confusing to an outsider.

Here’s what the State has to say about your question:

https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/lakes/lkepond.html

[Fish2kill]

Here’s what the State has to say about your question:

https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/lakes/lkepond.html

The state seems more confused than us.

[Gunflint]

The state seems more confused than us.

Wow...and I thought I finally understood things.

[Fish2kill]

Wow...and I thought I finally understood things.

Same, i was gonna offer my "wisdom" but that link slapped my wisdom to the leachfield.

[indy597]

then of course there is Great Pond in Cape which is small and I doubt qualifies as "great" - probably one of those other letter ones...and Great Pond in Belgrade which is most certainly a lake but just called Great Pond even though its the largest of the Belgrade lakes 

Early ice everywhere this year...enjoy!

[tilted]

Don’t forget Great Pond in Aurora which is big enough that I’d consider it lake size 😁😁