Hay Flats Lake Fishing in Saint John County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  The Saint John County end of New Brunswick holds Hay Flats Lake. Beyond the shoreline you have lake country bush. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. It is a small entry by Saint John County standards. The closest town, Grand Bay-Westfield, is 11 km away. Dartmouth sits 223 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Hay Flats Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Saint John County, recorded fish include alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Hay Flats Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 18°C and January reads -9°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hay Flats Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Salmon and sea-run fish answer to spoons and spinners where lure fishing is allowed; check the method rules first. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Wolf Lake, 2.1 km away. Signs at Hay Flats Lake carry more weight than any list.