Fishing at Cliff Pond, Hant's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador

• Overview

  Set in Hant's Harbour, Cliff Pond is a Newfoundland and Labrador water. The bank is 182 metres above sea level. Roughly 27 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 2.6 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. For a base, Victoria sits 24 km out. Then Carbonear, 27 km, and Harbour Grace, 33 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name American eel, bull-rout, Atlantic hook-ear sculpin and grubby. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Cliff Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between February at about -6°C and August at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Ice clears near late April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Cliff Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. One rod, a handful of hooks and floats, and a few small lures are enough for this water. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Duck Pond, 0.4 km out. Treat access at Cliff Pond as something to verify.