Forbes Pond is located in Gouldsboro, Maine between U.S. Routes 195 and 186 just north of Prospect Harbor in Hancock County. This section of the state is referred to as being in Down East Maine.
There is a relatively short foot path through a forested area that is accessed from 195 that will take only about 15 minutes walking to reach the shore. There should be enough room along this path for an angler to carry their canoe or kayak into the pond as well.
Schoodic Institute Entrance GPS : 44.336616, -68.056898
The first recorded introduction of large mouth bass in Maine took place at Forbes Pond in 1897. It remains one of the few places in Hancock County that have Largemouth Bass. There has been a small amount of brook trout (squaretail) reported having been caught here but it has not been of any noteworthy size. There are also Eels, White Suckers, Minnows and Pumkinseed Sunfish.
Once owned by The Nature Conservancy of Maine, the pond was transferred to a conservation partner and is now part of the 980-acre Forbes Pond Preserve with the pond as its centerpiece. Funding to acquire the parcels of land that make up the preserve came from several sources, including the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) program.
According to a 1977 Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife survey, the pond was 208 acres with about two miles of shoreline. It is fairly shallow with a maximum depth of about eleven feet. There is often a substantial amount of vegetation such as lily pads covering 60% of the pond's surface area. A picnic spot is on the shore but no camping is permitted. When visiting, leave-no-trace and keep pets under control at all times.
Fishing:
Daily bag limit on trout: 2 fish
Minimum length limit: 10 inches
Only 1 may exceed 12 inches.
Extended Season: Remains open to fishing through November.
From October 1 - November 30: All trout, salmon, togue, and bass must be released alive at once.
(Fishing information per Maine.gov 9/9/2006)