Fifth Lake, Nova Scotia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Fifth Lake in the Guysborough County part of Nova Scotia. It sits at 19 metres above sea level. It runs to roughly 19 hectares — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 2.8 km of margin, front to back. It is low-lying compared with other Nova Scotia water we list. You are 50 km from Antigonish. The big place round here is Dartmouth, 140 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Fifth Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name alewife, American eel and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Fifth Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 18°C and February near -6°C on the long-run figures. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Fifth Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Sixth Lake is 1.2 km off. Check the position at Fifth Lake before loading the car.