HIKE ME

EXPLORE BY boat

CANOE OR KAYAK ON MAINE’S MANY LAKES AND PONDS

STORY & PHOTOS BY AISLINN SARNACKI

MOVING HIS PADDLE slowly through the water, a canoeist propels his boat forward, over lily pads and spears of pickerelweed. Dragonflies dart over the calm surface of the pond. Now and again, one lands on the gunwales of the boat to rest.

The lone paddler hugs the shore where there’s a chance he’ll spot wildlife. Inlets, outlets, islets and wetland areas all present opportunities to see something new.

Just ahead, for example, a painted turtle basks in the sun atop a half-submerged log. As the boat draws near, the creature silently slides into the water to hide within a mass of aquatic plants. Peering down into the shallows, the canoeist tries to catch a glimpse of the turtle’s round shell, but all he sees are the lacy fronds of bladderwort and a school of small, glittering fish.

Around every bend of the shore, a new scene unfolds. In some areas, the water’s edge is lined with camps and cabins. In others, trees crowd undeveloped stretches of shoreline, where the paddler might spot an eagle or kingfisher perched on a branch.

Maine is home to about 6,000 lakes and ponds, many of which are accessible for the public to explore by boat. These bodies of freshwater are home to a diversity of wild creatures, from majestic great blue herons to lodge-building beavers. You’re bound to spot something that fascinates you. “The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer” by Delorme is a great resource for finding lakes and ponds in your area, along with the location of any public boat launches. Here are a few popular paddling spots you might want to try out.

PUSHAW LAKE

IN THE BANGOR AREA

Covering more than 4,680 acres, Pushaw Lake stretches through the towns of Glenburn, Hudson, Old Town, Orono and Penobscot. It’s by far the largest body of water in the Bangor area, making it a popular place for canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and other water sports.

More than 900 camps and homes are scattered along the shore of the lake, but there are stretches of undeveloped shoreline, too. Bald eagles, loons, red-winged blackbirds, wood ducks and many other bird species call the lake and its shores home.

The native name for the lake was Pegwadukgomah, meaning “bent stream lake,” then Kukunsook, meaning “cedars,” according to the Greater Pushaw Lake Association. It was later named Pushaw after an early French settler.

The lake’s principal fishery is smallmouth bass, white perch and chain pickerel.

For information about lake access and parking, contact the town office of the town where you plan to access the lake. A parking pass may be required at some boat launches.

DIRECTIONS: There are several points of public access to Pushaw Lake. The townowned Lakeside Landing, located off the Lakeside Landing Road in Glenburn, features a boat launch, as well as a public beach, picnic tables, horseshoe pits and lawn. Gould’s Landing, owned by the Maine Department of Transportation, is located at the end of Essex Street in Orono. It features a canoe/kayak launch, beach area, picnic tables and a short hiking trail.

GRAHAM LAKE

IN ELLSWORTH

A wading bird called Greater Yellowlegs hunts the shallows of Graham Lake.

Covering over 7,800 acres, Graham Lake is a man-made body of water with shoreline in Ellsworth, Mariaville, Waltham and Fletchers Landing Township. In the 1920s, the lake was created to hold water for hydroelectric power generation on the lower portion of the Union River.

While the lake is home to plenty of houses, it also features stretches of undeveloped shoreline, wetland areas and small islands that attract a wide variety of wildlife. While paddling, keep an eye out for wading birds such as great blue herons and greater yellowlegs. Belted kingfishers are also commonly spotted fishing along the shore. Listen for their loud, rattling calls. Graham Lake is shallow, making it an especially good place for warmwater fish species. According to surveys conducted by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the lake is home to pickerel, smallmouth bass and white perch. Coldwater species such as landlocked salmon and brown trout have been caught in the lake but aren’t as numerous.

For information about access to Graham Lake, visit the City of Ellsworth website at ellsworthmaine.gov.

DIRECTIONS: There are three public boat launches on Graham Lake, according to The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer by Delorme. The southernmost landing is off Patriot Road in Ellsworth, where the lake flows into the Union River. The second launch is nearby, off Route 179 in Fletcher’s Landing Township. Coming from Ellsworth, this will be after the bridge over Day Brook. And the third launch is on the north end of the lake, off Morrison Farm Road in Mariaville, where the Union River flows into the lake.

A great blue heron perches atop a tree on the edge of Fields Pond in Orrington.

FIELDS POND

IN ORRINGTON

Home to an abundance of wildlife, Fields Pond has long been a popular place to paddle and fish. Most sources state that the pond covers 191 acres, while other sources include the surrounding wetlands in that calculation, which expands the pond to over 500 acres.

A few houses are located at the pond’s north end, with the rest of the shoreline undeveloped. Located on the northeast side of the pond is Fields Pond Audubon Center, a 229-acre preserve that includes a trail network and nature center.

Out on the water, paddlers oven spot loons and a variety of ducks. Great blue herons hunt in the surrounding wetlands, along with American bitterns, spotted sandpipers and other wading birds. Ospreys and eagles are also frequently spotted. The pond features a 22-acre island, which is a part of Fields Pond Audubon Center. The island is mostly surrounded by open water, with a portion of the northwest side hemmed in by a wetland. If you paddle along the shore, you can find a boulder that displays plaques memorializing three local people: “Nate” Francis Ford, “Duke of Fields Pond” (1913-1999), Virginia Ford (1917-2014) and Malcolm “Mack” Carter (1922-1993).

For more information about the pond and neighboring preserve, visit maineaudubon.org/visit/fields-pond.

DIRECTIONS: A boat launch is located at the end of a gravel driveway at Fields Pond Audubon Center, just west of the center’s main entrance at 216 Fields Pond Road in Holden. If driving from the east, the boat launch driveway is about 1.2 miles from where Fields Pond Road ends at Wiswell Road in Holden. If driving from the west, the driveway is 1.8 miles from where Fields Pond Road ends at an intersection with Brewer Lake Road and Johnson Mill Road at Bob’s Kozy Korner store in Orrington.

AISLINN SARNACKI is a columnist for the Bangor Metro and a registered Maine Guide. An expert on the Maine outdoors, she’s the author of the guidebooks “Dog-Friendly Hikes in Maine,” “Maine Hikes Off the Beaten Path” and “Family Friendly Hikes in Maine.” Follow her adventures at bangordailynews.com/outdoors. You can also find her @mainenaturehikes on Instagram and @1minhikegirl on Facebook and Twitter.