[mining][pools] How to find working pool for a coin?

[blackhorse7]

Hello!
I wonder if is it possible to get a list of working pools for a coin. When I search for a pool and this is not listed on zpool.ca nor on announcement site (pools on announcement site are empty - 1-2 miners or even 0), what in this case? If I start on that empty pool I will never find any block, because many more hashrate is somewhere on he internet. Searching by google isnt giving answer too...
Is it possible to determine where a coin is mined? Is there something like explorer for that?