First Lake Fishing near Antigonish, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Look for First Lake in the Guysborough County part of Nova Scotia. The sea is 1.9 km distant. The water measures roughly 7 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. It lies lower than most water we list in Nova Scotia. Some 65 km away sits Antigonish, the nearest settlement. Stellarton is 76 km and New Glasgow 77 km. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on First Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Time trips to the tide table rather than the clock here. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Guysborough County cover coalfish, Atlantic cod and alewife. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At First Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 18°C; by February the average is down near -6°C. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about late December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on First Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Second Lake is 0.9 km off. Ask locally about First Lake if anything is unclear.