Baileys Pond in Parkers Cove: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Parkers Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, is where Baileys Pond sits. Height above sea level is 123 metres. It runs to roughly 92 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. With 7.2 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It is among the larger waters listed here for Parkers Cove. For a base, Marystown sits 34 km out. Burin lies 44 km off, Harbour Breton another 66 km. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Baileys Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Parkers Cove: brook trout and Atlantic salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Baileys Pond responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 16°C, the coldest about -6°C. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Baileys Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Outside Baileys Pond at 1.4 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Baileys Pond.