Fishing at Brazil Lake, Hants, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  The Hants end of Nova Scotia holds Brazil Lake. Salt water lies 22 km off. Small at around 3 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Hants standards. Milford Station is the closest town at 12 km. Then Lantz, 15 km, and Stewiacke, 16 km. Nearest other option: Ingram Lake some 5.8 km off, Porter Lake just 9.5 km, Allens Lake some 10 km off, Snides Lake just 11 km and MacLaren Lake some 12 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Brazil Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name American eel, Atlantic salmon, striped bass and smallmouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Brazil Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -7°C to 18°C. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Brazil Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Ingram Lake is 5.8 km distant. Where Brazil Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.