Fishing Boot Lake in Richmond County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Boot Lake lies in Richmond County, Nova Scotia. The sea is 5.1 km distant. Surface area runs to about 8 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Nearest town is St. Peter's, 19 km off. Eskasoni 3 is 21 km away, with Louisdale at 35 km. Others within reach: MacNabs Lake just 3.2 km, MacLeod Lake 4.1 km, Narrow Lake just 4.4 km, Stump Lake 5.6 km and MacLennan Lake just 5.9 km. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Richmond County cover Atlantic salmon, striped bass, American eel and alewife. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Boot Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 18°C on average, February about -7°C. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about late April and return around late December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Boot Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. MacNabs Lake, 3.2 km away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Boot Lake in what we hold.