Fishing Franks Lake in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Franks Lake falls in Yarmouth County, part of Nova Scotia. Height above sea level is 26 metres. Surface area is around 11 hectares, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 2.3 km of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It is a small entry by Yarmouth County standards. Yarmouth sits 28 km from the bank. Beyond it, Shelburne at 42 km and Barrington at 45 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Franks Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Yarmouth County cover American eel, yellow perch, Atlantic salmon and white perch. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Franks Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 17°C and February near -4°C. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Franks Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Quinan Duck Lake, 1.5 km away. What applies at Franks Lake may have changed since it was mapped.