Deer Lake Fishing in Saint John County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  This water sits in Saint John County, New Brunswick. It sits at 29 metres above sea level. This is sizeable water at about 4.78 sq km, and a boat opens up most of it. The perimeter is close to 53 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. It ranks high for size among our Saint John County listings. Nearest town is Fundy Shores, 10 km off. The nearest city of size is Dartmouth, 227 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Deer Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Saint John County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, American shad and American eel. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Deer Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 18°C and January near -9°C. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Deer Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Garbutt Lake is 1.3 km distant. None of that is settled for Deer Lake in what we hold.