Fish biologists from the Palermo Hatchery were back in Boothbay again last week and they have left behind plenty of young trout, ready to be caught.

In late April, 250 10-inch brook trout were stocked into Adams Pond and 200 more were deposited into Knickerbocker Lake last week. Although many people associate the Boothbay area with saltwater fishing, Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake provide plenty of angling opportunities.

Fishermen spring up along the shore off Adams Pond Road as soon as the days warm in spring and can be seen casting throughout the warm weather months. Knickerbocker Lake lacks Adams Pond’s roadside access, but the town public access off Barter’s Island Road provides an ideal spot to launch a small boat. When winter sets in, fishing continues on Knickerbocker Lake, where ice shacks perch on the frozen waters and the surface is punctured with fishing holes.

Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake are not cold-water lakes that naturally support trout, but salmonids do well enough here to satisfy fishermen of all ages.

In 2017, Inland Fish and Wildlife conducted short gillnet studies in both ponds to assess the survival of stocked brook and rainbow trout. In Adams Pond, they found that trout do well throughout the summer months, but don’t appear to survive through the winter. In contrast, half of the brook trout captured in Knickerbocker Lake during the survey were older-aged fish, with the largest at 17 inches and 2 pounds. 

“There are very few waters in Region B that provide conditions where brook trout can survive from year-to-year, so Knickerbocker is a diamond in the rough,” the report concluded.

Local fishermen see the benefits of the stocking program first hand.

“The trout stocking is such a wonderfully good use of your fishing license fee. It’s because we pay these fees, that Inland and Fish and Wildlife has the money to stock all these small ponds. It’s one user-fee that actually pays dividends,” local sports fishermen Barry Gibson said.

“The stocking program does a great job of providing fish where people can access them - close to home. And it’s a great for the kids, too. Because of the stocking program, kids have a great chance of catching a fish, sometimes on their first try. It helps to get them enthusiastic about fishing and the outdoors - something definitely needed in this age of electronic distractions,” Gibson said.

Good freshwater fishing awaits you at either Adams Pond or Knickerbocker Lake. In addition to the stocked trout, both lakes are also home to another fishing favorite, largemouth bass.

Motor boats are not allowed on Adams Pond and Knickerbocker Lake is limited to engines less than 10 horsepower.