Crescent Lake, in Raymond and Casco is about a 1/2 mile wide and 2 1/2 miles long; a good size boating, and relatively quiet and undeveloped. There is beach and boat launch for Raymond residents on Rt 85, and for Casco residents off Rt 11.

Fishes Landlocked salmon White sucker

Rainbow smelt Creek chubsucker

Smallmouth bass Hornpout (bullhead)

Largemouth bass Banded killifish

White perch Pumpkinseed sunfish

Yellow perch American eel

Chain pickerel Cusk

Minnow

Golden shiner

Bridled shiner

Fallfish (chub)

Area – 716 acres Maximum depth – 54 feet

Temperatures: surface - 79° F 50 feet - 51°

Principal fisheries: Largemouth bass, small mouth bass, landlocked salmon, white perch, cusk.

Crescent Lake has excellent water quality for warm water fisheries management. Extensive gravel shoreline, structure such as rock piles and weed beds, and an ample forage base provide excellent habitat for bass and pickerel. This lake consistently produces some of the best bass fishing in southern Maine.

Oxygen deficiency below 35 feet limits the potential for coldwater fisheries management. A layer of cool well-oxygenated water does exist in the thermo cline. This layer and a fair smelt population does provide the habitat for a limited salmon and trout fishery. Annual stocking of these species is necessary because there is no suitable spawning or nursery habitat. A limited cusk fishery also exists in the winter.

Crescent Lake is open both summer and winter with general law regulations. The Town of Raymond maintains a boat ramp along Route 85. The lake is also accessible from Panther Pond via the Tenny River.

Panther Pond:

Panther Pond  in Raymond is about 1 1/4 miles wide and 2 1/2 miles long. It connects to Crescent Lake via Tenny River. Canoes and small motorboats can usually get through the river (I've taken an 18' on numerous occasions). This is a good lake for all kinds of recreation and boating.

Landlocked salmon Hornpout (bullhead)

Lake trout (togue) Rainbow smelt

Brook trout White sucker

Smallmouth bass Golden shiner

Largemouth bass Blacknose dace

White perch Fallfish (chub)

Yellow perch Cusk

Chain pickerel Banded killifish

Pumpkinseed sunfish

Area – 1,439 Maximum Depth – 70 feet

Temperatures: Surface - 74°F 70 feet - 49°

Principal fishery: Landlocked salmon, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, white perch, rainbow smelt.

Panther Pond thermally stratifies in the summer months, but the deeper coldwater layers experience depressed dissolved oxygen levels, reducing its potential to sustain large populations of coldwater fish. There is ample habitat to support all warm water fish species.

Panther Pond is stocked annually with landlocked salmon, which at times provide excellent fishing. The annual draw-down of the lake to attract spawning runs of salmon up from Sebago Lake also attract salmon from Panther Pond into the outlet. Landlocks that drop out of Panther Pond in the fall are unable to return because of the impassable dam on the outlet. The Department will attempt to return salmon dropdowns from Panther Run into the Pond after the spawning run. An experimental lake trout program was initiated in 1982. The lake has been stocked annually since then at a low rate in order to provide the best possible growth. The objective of this program is to provide some additional fishing opportunity for lake trout, even if only on a limited basis. It is too soon to evaluate the success of this program.

Results tabulated from annual bass tournaments held on the lake indicate a higher quality smallmouth bass than largemouth bass population, but a balanced population of both currently exists. White perch fishing is very popular summer and winter at Panther. A handline fishery for rainbow smelts is also popular during the winter season.

Raymond Pond

Raymond Pond is a quiet lake that is tucked away leading to a quiet and peaceful setting. Although smaller than some lakes it still supports active water recreation.

Brook trout Minnows Brown Trout

Rainbow smelt Golden shiner Smallmouth bass

White sucker Largemouth bass Pumpkinseed sunfish

White perch Hornpout (bullhead) Yellow perch

Cusk Chain pickerel American eel

Area – 346 acres Temperatures – Surface - 74°

Maximum depth – 42’ At 41’ - 49°

Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass.

Stocking was discontinued at Raymond Pond in 1987 due to a lack of public access. For years this pond consistently produced a quality brown trout fishery, however, the lake is now managed for warm water species only. Some natural reproduction of trout occurs in the tributaries but competition is too severe to allow adequate survival of young trout in the lake. Consequently, the trout population has been reduced to a very low level since the annual stocking program was discontinued.

Rocky shorelines, weedy coves, and a good forage base all contribute to sustain a quality bass fishery in Raymond Pond. The white perch have become so numerous that their average size is too small and undesirable to most fishermen. Smelts are present, but competition and predation from the other fish have kept the population relatively low.

Lakes and ponds in southern Maine are extremely valuable from a recreational standpoint. Hopefully the local residents around Raymond Pond will assist the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in locating suitable public access to this lake so that annual stocking and an active management program may be resumed.

For more information on these lakes along with depth maps visit: http://www.raymondmaine.org/committees/technology/gis/default.htm