Hatchet Lake near Brookside: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Halifax Regional Municipality, Hatchet Lake is a Nova Scotia water. The sea is 6.1 km distant. You are looking at roughly 5.0 km of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. On our Halifax Regional Municipality list it sits near the top for size. Brookside is the closest place, 1 km off. Beyond it, Shad Bay at 6.9 km and Beechville at 8.7 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Hatchet Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Halifax Regional Municipality include brook trout, alewife, rainbow smelt, American eel and Atlantic salmon. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Hatchet Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -5°C to 18°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near late December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Hatchet Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Campbell Point Park Boat Launch is the mapped launch, some 480 m from here. A car park sits roughly 510 m away. There is a pier recorded roughly 310 m away. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Back Lake at 0.9 km is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Hatchet Lake.