West Branch Reservoir in Saint John County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Saint John County end of New Brunswick holds West Branch Reservoir. The water sits 46 metres up. The water covers around 4.95 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The shoreline runs to about 31 km, far more than one trip can cover. Size puts it in the front rank of our Saint John County list. Fundy Shores is the closest town at 5.6 km. Dartmouth sits 229 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on West Branch Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Open biodiversity records for Saint John County list alewife, Atlantic salmon and rainbow smelt. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat West Branch Reservoir as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 18°C and January near -9°C. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That is the shape of the year on West Branch Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. 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. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Bonny Doone Lake, 1.9 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at West Branch Reservoir carry more weight than any list.