Little Cranberry Lake, Nova Scotia: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, sits Little Cranberry Lake. It stands 195 metres above sea level. At 9 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is high ground by Nova Scotia standards. Middleton sits 34 km from the bank. Then Greenwood, 38 km, and Kingston, 40 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Cranberry Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Annapolis County, recorded fish include alewife, Atlantic salmon, chain pickerel, yellow perch and blueback herring. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Little Cranberry Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 18°C, with January the cold end at about -6°C. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Little Cranberry Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Twenty Mile Lake is 1.2 km distant. Where Little Cranberry Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.