ROXBURY — Three weeks ago, much of Maine experienced record-high temperatures flirting with the 70-degree mark.

During a cold snap 36 hours later, Ellis Pond — also known as Roxbury Pond — made ice thick enough for early-season anglers to walk out a few hundred feet and auger holes through ice about a foot thick, Ellis Pond Variety and Cabins owner Dennis Daniel said on Saturday afternoon.

“I’ve been hearing that from 500 to 600 feet out, there’s 12 inches (of ice),” Daniel said. “And, beyond that, it’s mixed, with 4 inches here, less somewhere else.”

He advised anglers to stay away from the southeast side of the pond — the other side of the two islands — because there is open water at a large inlet. He said people can call the store at 545-2713 for current Ellis Pond ice conditions.

In years past, the pond has had ice as thick as 52 inches and 19 inches as its least, he said.

“You need a solid 3 inches for people, more for cars and trucks,” Daniel said.

His bait business was booming Saturday as anglers took advantage of a mild, overcast day to try their luck at catching some of the 12- to 15-inch brook trout. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocked the pond with 1,000 trout in October.

Although Maine’s ice fishing season doesn’t officially open for most water bodies until New Year’s Day, Daniel said anglers can take home two trout a day from Roxbury Pond. The rest of the trout catch must be released live back into the pond.

“Today, one customer said he’d hit 12 trout, so far, and kept the two best ones,” Daniel said.

Farther south, angler Kevin Ouellette of Lewiston said ice was about 6 inches thick on Sabattus Pond.

Several anglers were trying their luck for northern pike despite gusting winds and colder temperatures.

Ponds stocked with trout, salmon

State biologists said Wednesday that anglers should find plenty of fishing opportunities, thanks to an ambitious fall stocking program.

Biologist Dave Boucher said nearly 15,000 catchable-size brook trout (12 to 15 inches long) were stocked specifically for ice anglers.

In addition to Ellis Pond, other waters to try are Crowell and Norcross ponds in Chesterville, Webb Lake in Weld, Wilson Lake in Wilton, Porter Lake in New Vineyard, Wentworth and Baker ponds in Solon, Smith Pond in Brighton, Wesserunsett Lake in Madison, and Chain of Ponds in Chain of Ponds Township.

Baker, Smith, Webb and Wesserunsett also received fall yearling brown trout that averaged 12 to 14 inches in length.

Wilson Lake got 60 large lake trout.

“These retired brood fish weigh about 10 pounds apiece,” Boucher said.

Splake was stocked in Bear Pond in Waterford, Bryant Pond in Woodstock, Wentworth Pond and Lufkin Pond in Phillips, and Wyman Lake in Moscow.

Biologist Francis Brautigam said an unusually high number of retired brook trout brood averaging 1 to 3 pounds, and some exceptionally large lake trout averaging 10 pounds were stocked in southern waters, along with salmon and rainbow trout.

For the trout, try Otter Ponds No. 2 and No. 4 in Standish, Worthley Pond in Poland, Crystal Lake in Gray, Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, Keoka Lake in Waterford and Keewaydin Lake in Stoneham.

The lake trout lunkers were put in Little Ossipee Lake in Waterford and Mousam Lake in Acton. Rainbow trout can now be found in Norway Lake in Norway, and salmon can be found in South Pond in Greenwood, Pleasant Pond in Casco, Kezar Lake in Lovell and Moose Pond in Bridgton.

“So, let the games begin,” Boucher said, “but, as usual, use common sense when traveling on the ice during the early part of the season, especially in the larger lakes that take a bit longer to freeze well.”

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Sun Journal photographer Daryn Slover contributed to this report.

Darren Brown, left, Tanya Ouellette and her husband Kevin throw a football on 6 inches of ice on Sabattus Pond in Sabattus on Saturday. The three Lewiston residents were fishing for northern pike during their third time out on the ice this season. “One small pike but tons of laughs,” said Brown when asked how the fish were biting.

Paul Kimball of Lewiston rides over 6 inches of ice on Sabattus Pond in Sabattus on Saturday. Kimball and Darren Brown, driving, were fishing for northern pike during their third time out on the ice this season. “One small pike but tons of laughs,” said Brown when asked how the fish were biting.

A pair of Nordic skiers stop for a chat with ice anglers, at center left, on Roxbury Pond on Saturday afternoon. Several people took advantage of warmer temperatures to fish for some of the 1,000 trout that were stocked in the pond in October.