Fishing Tapley Lake in Sunbury County, New Brunswick

• Overview

  Look for Tapley Lake in the Sunbury County part of New Brunswick. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. About 3 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. For a base, Minto sits 18 km out. Dartmouth is the closest city, 263 km away. More in the same country: Spruce Lake at about 4 km, Dorsey Lake at 4.1 km, Timber Lake at about 6.4 km, Jehu Lake at 14 km and Clare Lake at about 24 km. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Tapley Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Sunbury County include alewife, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel and smallmouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Tapley Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -10°C to 18°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The open-water window runs from around late April to about early December in an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Tapley Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Spruce Lake at 4 km is the nearest alternative. Signs at Tapley Lake carry more weight than any list.