Big Northwest Pond Fishing near Glovertown, Newfoundland and Labrador

• Overview

  Big Northwest Pond is set in Traytown, Newfoundland and Labrador. Tidal water begins 1.6 km from here. It measures about 35 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 2.9 km on foot. 9.7 km away sits Glovertown, the nearest town. Further out sit Gambo (26 km) and Centreville-Wareham-Trinity (37 km). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Big Northwest Pond

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Traytown cover Atlantic cod, Arctic charr, brook trout, American eel and Atlantic salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Big Northwest Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 15°C in August and bottoms out near -7°C in February. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Big Northwest Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Fair and False Long Pond is 1.3 km off. None of that is settled for Big Northwest Pond in what we hold.