Menzies Lake Fishing Guide, Saint John County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  This water sits in Saint John County, New Brunswick. The ground around here is rolling bush. The water covers some 95 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The perimeter runs near 7.1 km, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Saint John County are bigger. The closest town, Lancaster, is 7.2 km away. Island View Heights follows at 8.2 km, then Quinton Heights at 8.8 km. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Menzies Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Saint John County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, rainbow smelt, American shad and American eel. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Menzies Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 17°C at the top of summer and -8°C at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Menzies Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. 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. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Patchell Lake, 1.4 km away. None of that is settled for Menzies Lake in what we hold.