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Keyes Pond

  • Lake ID: MIDAS 3232
  • Lake surface: 1,235 acres
  • Max. Depth: 42 feet
  • Elevation: 508 feet
  • Town: Sweden

A town-operated public access area at the north end of the pond provides limited carry-in access.

Keyes Pond is named after Solomon Keyes, who was part of Colonel Lovewell’s infamous 1725 expedition in the area. Keyes Pond drains into the Kezar River, which is part of the Saco River Watershed.

LEA’s Environmental Monitoring Efforts on Keyes Pond

Click on a program below for the most recent data summary. For descriptions of each program, return to our Lake Look-Up page.

Water Quality Monitoring Summary

Keyes Pond surface water chlorophyll (ppb), phosphorus (ppb), and Secchi depth (meters) data comparison. Colored areas represent the long-term range of values, from minimum to maximum. Area thickness indicates frequency of measurements at that value. Area thickness increases as more measurements are reported at that value. The vertical black line represents the long-term average value. The large red dot represents 2025’s average value. The small red dots represent individual readings taken in 2025.

2025 Water Testing Summary

Water Quality overview and methods

2025 as a Year (summary for all lakes)

Winter Water Monitoring Summary

2025-2026 data will be available in May

High Resolution Temp. Monitoring Summary

Temperature maps were generated using daily mean temperature values, which help determine temperature across depth and time. Temperature is represented by colored contours, where the red to blue color range corresponds to a high to low temperature range. The vertical bar on the right side of the temperature map indicates the temperature each color represents in degrees Fahrenheit (°F). The horizontal axis shows the months sensors were deployed, while the left-hand vertical axis shows sensor depth (meters) below the water’s surface.

Temperature stratification shows up as areas of the plot where colors change in the vertical direction and contour lines are tilted more towards horizontal (from June through early November). The area where temperature changes most rapidly with depth is often referred to as the thermocline. Vertical contour lines indicate mixed conditions, and areas of a single color from top to bottom (such as late-October into November) indicate completely mixed conditions. Warm, stratified conditions stand out as darker red areas. Large gaps between lines means there is a large temperature difference between depths.

High Resolution Temperature Monitoring Methods and Reading Graphs

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png Algae Monitoring Summary

Graphs have been included for each test site to visually compare fluorometer, temperature, and oxygen profiles from May through September. The vertical axis (y-axis) indicates depth below the surface, while the horizontal axis (x-axis) represents reported values. Three different parameters are being reported on the same graph, which results in the value units for the horizontal axis varying, based on parameter. Units are noted in parentheses in the legend.

Algae Methods and Reading Graphs

Algae Identification Via Flow Imaging Microscopy

LEA also has active Courtesy Boat Inspection and LakeSmart programs on Keyes Pond and offers technical assistance to landowners through Clean Lake Check Ups.

Fishing

Most of the year, Keyes Pond has a suitable habitat for trout. During the late summer, however, the amount of cool, well-oxygenated water that cold-water fish need is limited. But enough cool, well-oxygenated water remains to support a viable brook trout population.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stocks brook trout in Keyes Pond each spring. An abundant smelt population provides an excellent forage base for the trout. There is some brook trout reproduction in both the inlet and the outlet, but stocking is necessary to provide enough trout to sustain a good fishery. Anglers can also target smallmouth bass, which were illegally introduced into the pond. Keyes Pond has extensive gravel shorelines, which provide excellent spawning habitat for the smallmouth bass. An abundant crayfish population and smelts provide the primary forage for bass. Chain pickerel, pumpkinseed sunfish, minnows, and hornpout are also found in the pond.  

General fishing laws apply.

Return to LEA’s Lake Look-Up page to search for a different lake, or type it in below.

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