Fishing Burnt Lake in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Burnt Lake sits within Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia. Everything around it is pine and birch. With some 68 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. It ranks high for size among our Halifax Regional Municipality listings. The closest town, Porters Lake, is 12 km distant. Lake Echo lies 14 km off, Musquodoboit Harbour another 14 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Burnt Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Halifax Regional Municipality list brook trout, alewife, rainbow smelt, American eel and Atlantic salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Take Burnt Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -6°C in January up to 18°C in August. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Burnt Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Gazette Lake at 0.5 km is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Burnt Lake before loading the car.