Lake of Islands Fishing in Victoria County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Nova Scotia holds Lake of Islands, in Victoria County. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. With some 37 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 3.4 km of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is among the larger waters listed here for Victoria County. 13 km away sits Ingonish, the nearest town. Sydney sits 72 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Lake of Islands

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Victoria County list Atlantic salmon, striped bass, alewife, brook trout and American eel. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Lake of Islands light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 16°C, with February the cold end at about -9°C. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Ice usually gives way near early May, and forms again about early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Lake of Islands by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Duck Lake at 1.4 km is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Lake of Islands if anything is unclear.