Denmark, ME

Depending on where you are, you'll enjoy views of Pleasant Mountain and the Shawnee Peak Ski Area, Black Mountian, Mount Washington and the White Mountains from Moose Pond in Bridgton, Sweden and Denmark.

Though it's called a pond, Moose Pond is eleven miles long, one-mile wide at its widest point, covers 1,617 acres and has three basins. Apparently the northern basin area was once timber land, which would explain the stumps. Today, all three basins are favorites for anglers, boaters and swimmers.

There are two boat launches. One is on Denmark Road in Denmark, about 1/2 mile on the right, just after the pavement ends. The other on the Route 302 Causeway in West Bridgton, was renovated this year by the Maine Department of Conservation with help from the Bass Federation of Maine, the Town of Bridgton, Lakes Environmental Association (LEA) and the Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District.

They replaced the old 10-foot wide concrete plank ramp with a new 20-foot wide ramp. It makes launching much, much easier. And before you launch, you should wash your boat at the boat wash, located just up the street on the far side of the West Bridgton Fire Department.

Warm days and refreshing August nights you'll find me paddling around the northern end of the pond. This section is shallow, with lots of rocks and tree stumps, therefore there are no speed boats.

About a dozen small islands dot the northern basin, making it perfect for picnicking while watching wildlife including heron, red-winged blackbirds, kingfishers, song birds, muskrats, beaver, deer, a variety of fish, and more. In fact, I've seen a red fox hunting along the edge of the pond, moose grazing in the shallow waters dining on water lilies and pickerel weed and a bald eagle flying overhead.

Harold "Hal" Arthur, a volunteer lake monitor, has been helping Colin Holme, LEA Field Services Director, take water samples every two weeks for years. Based on the information they gather, Peter Lowell, Executive Director of LEA describes Moose Pond as one of three "Cream of the Crop" ponds in the Lakes Region. The Moose Pond Association, formed about a year ago, is working diligently to make sure it remains on that list.

Besides being home to perch, pickerel, hornpout, smelt and other fish, Moose Pond produces lots of nice bass. With the three different basins, anglers have options for fishing different types of habitat.

Three Bass Tournaments will be held during September and October. Here's some contact information in case you are interested:
9/6/09, Moose Pond, Denmark, Eagle Bassmasters, Dale Libby, Open/Weigh In, 207.205.0896
9/12/09, Moose Pond, Denmark, Saco Valley Cast Masters, Steve Philbrick, Club/Weigh In
10/18/09, Moose Pond, Denmark, Dirty Dozen, John Hertz, Open/Weigh In, 207.577.1347

FMI: Lakes Environmental Association: http://mainelakes.org
Moose Pond Association: www.moosepondassociation.org

Perhaps you'd like to take a look at lakefront property for sale on Moose Pond. Just click on the box below:

Search for properties on Moose Pond in Bridgton and Denmark

Mr Lakefront is often asked by lakefront buyers "which is a better deal for me: finding a nice lakefront lot and building exactly what I want or is it better to find an acceptable existing home and taking a run at it

From a good deal standpoint I would say that, in this current incredible buyer's market, it is better for one to find a nice existing home and negotiate the best deal you can. How come?

Existing lakefront home prices have fallen about 15% on the average. So if a place was worth $500k in late summer of 2005 it is worth $425k today. Bad news for sellers, great news for buyers.

In some rare cases, I have seen motivated sellers parting with their lakefront properties at 20 to 30 % less than what they could have gotten four years ago. These situations are not normal, but they happen

My advice was just the opposite in 2004-2005. Back then it was a better deal to find a nice lot and build what one wanted. Sellers were demanding seemingly inflated prices for their existing homes and, more often than not, getting them. Here's an example.

I did a market analysis for a seller in late Spring 2004. The analysis indicated a market value of $480,000. I recommended this asking price to the seller. The seller said "Let's list it for $550,000″ .

For a few months it sat on the market but by the end of the season we got an offer which was accepted for $529,900. The seller said, "See Tom, I knew my place was worth more" The truth is, he was right. Over the course of the season, about a period of 5 months, market values had escalated quickly because of incredible demand and short supply.

Back in the summer of 2004 it would have been better for a buyer to find a nice lakefront lot and build a place. Existing lakefront home values were priced at their highest - and then some. While the cost of building materials and labor had also gone up , it was still a better deal to build.

So, in a nutshell: Seller's market = BUILD, Buyer's market = BUY.

Speaking of buying, you can check out all the current offerings for lakefront property in Maine right on our website. Our Lakefront Locator is the only tool you need to find just the right lakefront property for you.

Denmark is a small, but attractive village located in the southwestern hills of Maine, close by the New Hampshire border. Over 1000 people call Denmark home, but the summer population swells considerably with the vacationers who come to visit the many clean ponds in Denmark and enjoy a slower and more relaxing pace of life.

The main bodies of water found here are Moose Pond, Hancock Pond and Sand Pond (aka Walden Pond). Lesser ponds are Granger, Long, and Pickerel.

Denmark attracts vacationers in winter as well as summer as it is close by the Shawnee Peak ski area, is criss-crossed by abundant snowmobile trails, and provides ample opportunities for cross country skiing.

For those interested in the lakefront real estate market, here are the current lakefront listings for Denmark:

Hancock Pond, 153 Shore Road - your basic 3 bdrm. cottage on the pond, 100 feet of frontage, private - $229,000.

Hancock Pond, 253 Shore Road - another basic 3 bdrm. camp with 100 feet of frontage, compare to above - $239,900.

Moose Pond, near the bridge on Mountain Road - 233 feet of frontage, boat and ski, year rounder - $245,000.

Long Pond, 176 Long Pond Drive - winterized 5 bdrm. chalet, 260 feet of frontage, screened porch, deck - $299,000.

Moose Pond, 10 Coast Lane - flat lot, 100 feet of frontage, newly updated, sandy swimming, reduced - $379,900.

Sand Pond, 27 & 43 Shady Lane - two separate cottages, 388 feet of frontage, 60 years in same family - $499,000.

Hancock Pond, 12 Wabunaki - year round, 3 bdrm, 2.5 bth home with 200 feet on the water, 2800sf+ - $539,900.

Moose Pond, 1 Wood Island - one bdrm camp on 3.5 acre island, 1500 feet of shoreline, solitude - $595,000.

Moose Pond, 64 East Edgewater - 10 rooms, 5 bdrms., on 260 feet of frontage, 2 car garage - $595,000.

Moose Pond - the two above properties combined - house plus island - $1,150,000.

Hancock Pond, 1 Octagon Drive - 40 acre compound, 3315 feet of frontage, main lodge, 3 cottages, one home - $1,599,000.

Lakefront Land

Granger Pond, 77 Granger Drive - little less than an acre with 131 feet on quiet pond, wooded lot ready to build - $165,000.

Pickerel Pond - 973 acres including all the frontage on 40 acre Pickerel Pond - $1,750,000.

Pickerel Pond - 1668 acres, same as above, just more acres - $3,150,000.