Cranberry Lake, New Brunswick: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Cranberry Lake in Charlotte County, New Brunswick. Salt water lies 5.4 km off. Surface area runs to about 7 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Fundy Shores, 7 km off. For a city, Dartmouth is 235 km off. Others worth noting: 2.2 km out stands Seven Mile Lake, Dicks Lake at about 2.4 km, 2.6 km out stands Hideaway Lake, Marchs Lake at about 2.9 km and 3.1 km out stands Rogers Lake. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Charlotte County cover Atlantic salmon, alewife, rainbow smelt, American eel and smallmouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Cranberry Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 18°C and January near -9°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan around that when you fish Cranberry Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Seven Mile Lake at 2.2 km is the nearest alternative. Rules at Cranberry Lake are worth checking on the day.