Bear Lake Fishing near Preston, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Look for Bear Lake in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. It sits at 87 metres above sea level. It covers about 5 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest town is Preston, 7.5 km off. The big place round here is Dartmouth, 15 km distant. Nearby alternatives: No Good Lake 0.4 km off, Turtle Lake a touch under 1.3 km, Narrow Lake 1.4 km off, Dudley Lake a touch under 1.7 km and Long Duck Lake 2 km off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Halifax Regional Municipality include brook trout, alewife, rainbow smelt and American eel. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Bear Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -6°C. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at mid December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That shapes the year on Bear Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, No Good Lake is 0.4 km off. For Bear Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.