Fishing at Goose Lake, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Goose Lake lies in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. This is lake country bush country. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. It is a small entry by Guysborough County standards. Start from Port Hawkesbury, 37 km down the road. Then Louisdale, 49 km, and Antigonish, 51 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Goose 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. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Guysborough County include alewife, American eel, brook trout and Atlantic salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Goose Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 18°C; by February the average is down near -6°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The season between ice runs from about late April to late December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Goose Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Little Horseshoe Lake, 0.9 km away. For Goose Lake in particular, ask before you travel.