Hicks Lake in Annapolis County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Nova Scotia, Hicks Lake falls inside Annapolis County. The sea is 25 km distant. It measures about 35 hectares, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 3.2 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Nova Scotia listings. 28 km away sits Middleton, the nearest town. Then Greenwood, 35 km, and Kingston, 37 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Hicks Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Annapolis County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, chain pickerel and yellow perch. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Hicks Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -6°C to 18°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about mid December in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Anyone fishing Hicks Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Burhoe Lake, 3 km away. Rules at Hicks Lake are worth checking on the day.