Fishing at Ritchie Lake, Kings County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  Set in Kings County, Ritchie Lake is a New Brunswick water. The shore lies 2.4 km out. The water covers some 23 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 2.3 km of margin, front to back. It ranks high for size among our Kings County listings. Start from Quispamsis, 1.5 km down the road. Then Fairvale, 1.6 km, and Rothesay, 3.8 km. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Ritchie Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Kings County cover alewife, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic cod, yellow perch and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The near bank of Ritchie Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for July and -8°C for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. From about mid April to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Ritchie Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A car park lies 350 m away, so the walk in is short. There are toilets mapped about 680 m away. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is McLachlan Lake, 2.8 km out. Signs at Ritchie Lake carry more weight than any list.