McKnight Lake Fishing near Lancaster, New Brunswick

• Overview

  Set in Saint John County, New Brunswick, this is McKnight Lake. The country here is rolling bush. Small at around 5 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Lancaster at 9 km is the nearest place to stop. Island View Heights follows at 9.3 km, then Quinton Heights at 11 km. Alternatives close at hand: Connors Lake after 0.4 km, Ludgate Lake 2.2 km, Spruce Lake after 3.5 km, Shannons Lake 3.6 km and Holman Lake after 3.9 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on McKnight Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Saint John County cover alewife, Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt and American shad. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On McKnight Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 17°C and January near -8°C on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly mid December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It holds true on McKnight Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Connors Lake, 0.4 km out. Treat access at McKnight Lake as something to verify.