Fishing Hay Lake in Colchester, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Hay Lake stands in Colchester, Nova Scotia. It lies 174 metres above sea level. At 10 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Roughly 1.4 km of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Some 19 km away sits Bible Hill, the nearest settlement. Truro lies 20 km off, Stewiacke another 32 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Hay Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, striped bass and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Hay Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -7°C to 18°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That is the shape of the year on Hay Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Twin Lakes Conservation Lands takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Deyarmont Lake, 1.1 km away. Rules at Hay Lake are worth checking on the day.