Fishing Garbutt Lake in Saint John County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  Garbutt Lake is a Saint John County water, New Brunswick side. The land about it is lake country bush. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is a small entry by Saint John County standards. Nearest place of any size is Fundy Shores, 9 km away. For a city, Dartmouth is 227 km off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Garbutt Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Saint John County cover alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and American shad. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Garbutt Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -9°C at the bottom of winter. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. From about mid April to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Garbutt Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Deer Lake, 1.3 km out. For Garbutt Lake in particular, ask before you travel.