Hardwood Lake Fishing Guide, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  This water sits in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. Elevation runs to 98 metres. Surface area runs to about 4 hectares — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Guysborough County. The nearest town is Antigonish, 50 km away. It is 148 km to Dartmouth, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Hardwood Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Guysborough County list alewife, American eel, brook trout, Atlantic salmon and blueback herring. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Hardwood Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 18°C in August and bottom out at -6°C in February. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. From about late April to around late December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Hardwood Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Loon Lake is 1.3 km off. For Hardwood Lake in particular, ask before you travel.