Fishing Cumminger Lake in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Set in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, this is Cumminger Lake. It sits 25 km in from the sea. Roughly 36 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 3.0 km keeps the choices simple. It ranks high for size among our Guysborough County listings. Head to Antigonish, 39 km away, for anything you forgot. Dartmouth is the closest city, 138 km away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cumminger Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Guysborough County cover alewife, American eel, brook trout and Atlantic salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Cumminger Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 18°C and February near -6°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around late December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Cumminger Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Kirk Lake at 2.1 km is the sensible second choice. The position on Cumminger Lake is worth confirming on the day.