Drain Lake in Lunenburg County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Drain Lake stands in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia. The shore lies 12 km out. This is a pocket water of some 2 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lunenburg County list. Chester lies 15 km from the water. Beyond it, Mahone Bay at 27 km and Lunenburg at 33 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Drain Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name American eel, Atlantic whitefish, smallmouth bass and striped bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Drain Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in July and bottom out at -6°C in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Drain Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Halfway River Lake, 1.4 km away. Where Drain Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.