Fishing Dorsey Lake in Sunbury County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  Dorsey Lake is a Sunbury County water, in New Brunswick. The country here is rolling bush. At 4 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is Chipman, 15 km away. The nearest city of size is Dartmouth, 260 km away. If this one is busy: Tapley Lake 4.1 km away, Spruce Lake about 8.1 km, Timber Lake 10 km away, Jehu Lake about 11 km and Barton Lake 24 km away. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Dorsey Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Sunbury County cover alewife, yellow perch, pumpkinseed and chain pickerel. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Work Dorsey Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -10°C. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Time your trip to Dorsey Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Tapley Lake at 4.1 km is the nearest alternative. For Dorsey Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.