Lily Lake Fishing Guide, Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  In Nova Scotia, Lily Lake falls inside Cape Breton County. Height above sea level is 34 metres. At 2 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Cape Breton County list. For supplies, Marion Bridge is 11 km out. Beyond it, Sydney Forks at 18 km and Howie Centre at 20 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Cape Breton County, recorded fish include striped bass, Atlantic salmon, alewife, American eel and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Lily Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 18°C and February near -6°C. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Lily Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. 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. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Gillis Lake at 2.1 km is the sensible second choice. The position on Lily Lake is worth confirming on the day.