Wednesday, August 4, 2010




The Lake

Hopkins Pond located in Clifton and Mariaville is one of our favorite places to fish. Very little fisherman visit during the summer, most all activity occurs during the winter season. I usually fish the pond 2-3 times a week for trout, salmon and togue. Salmon and trout are few and far between in the summer. Most stocking of these fish has occured in the fall for ice fishing. While some nice fish are taken, most range 18-23 inches and a few pounds. Access is off the private/public ramp. This ramp is owned by the campowners association, but open to the public. Previously it was owned by the paper company, but deeded to the association when the lots were sold. The state will not take over the ramp, as the lot is too small to meet IFW requirements. The town charges the association the tax rate based on a usable building lot. It is not big enough to build, and open to the public, the town should forgo taxes. Maybe the association should go non profit! It is critical to respect the private landing, especially to trash and parking. There is a small donation box which helps pay for up keep of the landing, all donations are accepted. Please do not leave trash or make a lot of noise the landing is nested between two camps. If you come in off Route 9 at the orange rock, come around the outlet and continue until you see a sign with three camp owners names hanging (I haven't posted their names). The landing is down this drive, stay straight or right, don't go down the gated drive. It looks a little overgrown, but opens up to a nice cement landing ramps and turn around.

Leaving the landing and heading out to the main lake, stay toward the left cove, cut across this cove - do not go near or behind island, unless you want to replace prop real quick. as you saty left you will see rocks on right side and a bouy, stay just left of the bouy to enter lake, you will suddenly drop from a few feet to forty. You will notice a point straight ahead or left, a bar runs into the lake from the point and comes up shallow. So as you enter lake, turn right, with rocks on right, you should be in forty to fifty feet of water. As you pass another bouy on the right, turn west toward the other shore and a red camp, as you near the camp, turn left again and head down west shore. The depth range on this run from forty to fifty feet, you might hit a deep spot of seventy feet or so. Thus you will be fishing the main lake in a horseshoe pattern. If you head to the north or extreme south end of the lake, both behind island, you will be in water less then twenty feet and in some cases eight deep with sudden rocks, not good for spoons when trolling.

There is enough room to vary your horshoe and make a pass up and back on each side, its just that bar in the middle that get yeah. You can raise lines to twenty feet if you know the bar then rest as it drops quick. So putter around with the depth finder to learn the lake. The area behind the island as you came out of the landing is shallow and rocky, fit only for kayaks or canoes.

Also beware of the loons, this is loon haven and the camp owners very much enjoy their birds. Remember loons eat about eight pounds of fish a day, the water is crystal clear, so fish are deep.

The outlet flows into Oran Pond, just down from Hopkins, shallow and weedy, however fishable in winter and early spring for trout. This flows to Frost Brook, meeting Jellison Brook on way to Union River.

Let me know how the fishing is

The Depth Map



Click the Map to enlarge.
The public landing (private landing) is just past the outlet

Water Sample

HOPKINS POND, Mariaville

Midas: 4538

•Basin 1, Sample Station 1
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME-DEP) and the Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program (VLMP) have collaborated in the collection of lake data to evaluate present water quality, track algae blooms, and determine water quality trends. This dataset does not include bacteria, mercury, or nutrients other than phosphorus.

Water quality monitoring datasets for Hopkins Pond have been collected since 1974. During this period, 3 years of phosphorus and Chlorophyll information was collected, in addition to Secchi Disk Transparencies (SDT). In summary, the water quality of Hopkins Pond is considered to be above average, based on measures of SDT, total phosphorus (TP), and Chlorophyll-a (Chla). The potential for nuisance alga blooms on Hopkins Pond is low.

Water Quality Measures: Hopkins Pond is a non-colored lake (average color 7 SPU) with an average SDT of 8.0m (26.4ft). The range of TP for Hopkins Pond is 4-7 parts per billion (ppb) with an average of 7 ppb, while Chla ranges from 0.7-3.4 ppb with an average of 2.1 ppb. The dissolved oxygen (DO) profile shows no DO depletion in deep areas of the lake. The potential for TP to leave the bottom sediments and become available to algae in the water column (internal loading) is low. Oxygen levels below 5 parts per million stress certain cold water fish, and a persistent loss of oxygen may eliminate or reduce habitat for sensitive cold water species

Lake Trout Assessment of Hopkins 2007

Assessment of Lake Trout Spawning Activity in Hopkins Pond, Mariaville, Maine
By J. W. Dembeck IV, Research Fisheries Biologist, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. December 2007

Introduction
Lake trout (togue) are a long-lived species, and individual fish commonly live for 20+ years. Given the species’ longevity and association with deep, coldwater lakes, fisheries biologists have many questions about Maine lake trout populations that need answers in order to manage the species more effectively. Lake trout currently inhabit 137 lakes and ponds throughout the state, with most populations being wild and self-sustaining because of their ability to spawn along shallow lakeshores and offshore shoals having the appropriate rock and boulder substrate. Detailed studies have been conducted on spawning lake trout in various Maine waters over the past 60 years, but no studies have tracked individual fish over a time period greater than 3 years nor have all available spawning locations in a specific water body been sampled. By knowing the yearly frequency at which lake trout spawn, biologists can better understand the recruitment potential of lake trout populations in specific waterbodies and more accurately assess impacts to the forage base. With this information, managers can implement regulations that will maintain the population while providing quality fishing for anglers. For waters where wild lake trout populations are currently increasing and adversely impacting the forage base (e.g., Moosehead Lake, Sebago Lake, and Beech Hill Pond), a greater understanding of lake trout spawning and recruitment will assist in management of the species as well as the forage populations in these waters.

During September and October 2006, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) biologists from the Jonesboro Office conducted detailed surveys of lake trout spawning habitat in Hopkins Pond (Mariaville), Phillips Lake (Dedham), and Tunk Lake (T10 SD). Jonesboro and Bangor biologists returned to each of these waters in late October 2006 to sample for lake trout in those areas previously identified as providing suitable spawning habitat. One night of boat electrofishing was conducted on each water resulting in 43 lake trout collected from Hopkins Pond, 8 lake trout from Phillips Lake, and 3 lake trout from Tunk Lake.

To gain knowledge of lake trout spawning characteristics, MDIFW biologists developed a multi-year study of a representative wild lake trout population in Maine. The project consists of a detailed investigation of the spawning activity of wild lake trout in Hopkins Pond (including timing, habitat use, site fidelity, and whether mature individuals spawn annually). The results of this study will assist MDIFW biologists in sampling efforts on lake trout waters throughout the state by identifying key variables that predict lake trout spawning activity. This will allow MDIFW biologists to maximize the relevancy and quality of data gathered on other lake trout waters, and provide for more efficient use of staff time. Additionally, the data on spawning frequency of lake trout will allow for a more accurate assessment of lake trout recruitment, further assisting biologists in managing Maine’s lake trout fisheries.

The objectives of this study are to:

1.Evaluate the characteristics of the spawning lake trout population in Hopkins Pond.
2.Determine the environmental parameters that are the most reliable indicators of the lake trout spawning period.
3.Evaluate spawning frequency (i.e., annual vs. biennial), for tagged male and female lake trout.
4.Determine site fidelity for spawning lake trout.
5.Determine the angler harvest rate for adult lake trout in Hopkins Pond.
Methods
Hopkins Pond was selected as the study water based on the following reasons: the presence of a healthy, wild lake trout population; previous success in collection of lake trout during the spawning period; available spawning areas; adequate boat access; small surface area; and close proximity to the Jonesboro and Bangor offices.

Beginning in October 2007, a minimum of five nights of boat electrofishing will be conducted annually by MDIFW staff and UMO student volunteers at the identified spawning locations in Hopkins Pond. All lake trout collected will be measured, weighed, sexed, spawning status recorded, and implanted with a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag prior to their release. Each PIT tag is uniquely numbered, permitting identification and data collection for individual lake trout throughout the study period.

During the course of this study up to 400 lake trout will be implanted with PIT tags and marked with an adipose fin clip, with a maximum of 125 individuals to be tagged each year in order to track individual spawning lake trout from a minimum of three consecutive spawning years, 2007, 2008, and 2009. The premise behind tagging mature adults in multiple spawning years is to increase the probability of encountering any fish that do not spawn annually.

The recapture of tagged individuals will allow biologists to monitor their spawning activity and estimate the total spawning population of lake trout in the pond. All captured lake trout will be scanned for the presence of a PIT tag, and if none is present, one will be implanted until all tags are utilized. Environmental conditions (water temperature, air temperature, photoperiod, wind speed, wind direction, weather, moon phase) will be monitored along with spawning activity to determine if one or more variables are reliable indicators of spawning onset and activity. As PIT tags have an unlimited life period, MDIFW biologists are planning to continue annual monitoring of the spawning population in Hopkins Pond, as long as a sufficient number of PIT tagged individuals remain in the pond.
During the winters of 2008, 2009, and 2010 MDIFW biologists will perform winter creel surveys on Hopkins Pond to determine the harvest rate of tagged fish and determine a population estimate of adult lake trout in the pond. Creel surveys will be conducted during January and February each year with biologists surveying one weekday and one weekend day each week.

Results
Six boat electrofishing sampling events were conducted between October 16 and November 2, 2007, collecting a total of 118 individual lake trout. Each lake trout in the sample was implanted with a PIT tag and released back into the pond. The 118 individual lake trout were comprised of 92 males, 23 females, and 3 of undetermined sex due to immaturity during this spawning season. For both males and females, the average length was 21 inches and the average weight 2.9 pounds.

Other species observed during the electrofishing surveys included: landlocked salmon, brook trout, brown bullhead, white sucker, creek chub, common shiner, blacknose dace, rainbow smelt, pumpkinseed sunfish, and redbreast sunfish.

Biologists will begin their creel surveys of ice fishermen on the pond Starting January 1, 2008.

Acknowledgements
The author would like to the thank, D. Jason Seiders (MDIFW- Lake Research Group), Rick Jordan (MDIFW – Jonesboro Regional Office), Greg Burr (MDIFW – Jonesboro Regional Office), Joe Overlock (MDIFW – Jonesboro Regional Office), and Dr. Steve Coghlan (University of Maine – Orono) for assistance in developing the study plan, conducting field activities, analyzing data, and reviewing drafts of the report. Nels Kramer (MDIFW – Enfield Regional Office) provided historic lake trout information from department files. Student volunteers from the University of Maine – Orono provided assistance during some field activities. The Hopkins Pond Association is a supporting group of the study. Funding for the PIT tagging equipment was provided through a grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund. This report and project has been funded in part by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program, Project F-28-P.

Water Quality Summary of Hopkins Pond

WATER QUALITY SUMMARY
HOPKINS POND, MARIAVILLE
Midas: 4538, Basin: Primary
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME-DEP) and the Volunteer Lake
Monitoring Program (VLMP) have collaborated in the collection of lake data to evaluate
present water quality, track algae blooms, and determine water quality trends. This
dataset does not include bacteria, mercury, or nutrients other than phosphorus.
Water quality monitoring data for Hopkins Pond has been collected since 1974. During
this period, 3 years of phosphorus and Chlorophyll information was collected, in addition
to Secchi Disk Transparencies (SDT). In summary, the water quality of Hopkins Pond is
considered to be above average, based on measures of SDT, total phosphorus (TP), and
Chlorophyll-a (Chla). The potential for nuisance alga blooms on Hopkins Pond is low.
Water Quality Measures: Hopkins Pond has an average SDT of 7.6m (25.0ft). The water
color of this pond is unknown at this time. The range of TP for Hopkins Pond is 5-7
parts per billion (ppb) with an average 8 of ppb, while Chla ranges from 1.2-3.4 ppb with
an average of 2.0 ppb. The dissolved oxygen (DO) profile shows low DO depletion in
deep areas of the lake. The potential for TP to leave the bottom sediments and become
available to algae in the water column (internal loading) is low. Oxygen levels below 5
parts per million stress certain cold water fish, and a persistent loss of oxygen may
eliminate or reduce habitat for sensitive cold water species.
The flushing rate is the amount of time required for the lake water to be renewed each
year. The average flushing rate is about 1-1.5 flushes per year for Maine lakes. The
flushing rate for Hopkins Pond is 0.38 flushes per year.
See ME-DEP Explanation of Lake Water Quality Monitoring Report for measured
variable explanations. Additional lake information can be found on the World Wide Web
at: pearl.spatial.maine.edu and/or state.me.us/dep/blwq/lake.htm, or telephone ME-DEP
at 207-287-3901 or VLMP at 207-225-2070.
Filename: hopk4538, Revised: 9/2000, By: jp