Little Lake Fishing, W of Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Little Lake is one of the Halifax Regional Municipality waters in Nova Scotia. Beyond the shoreline you have lake country bush. Shoreline comes to about 3.9 km, small enough to learn in a day. It is low-lying compared with other Nova Scotia water we list. The nearest place of any size is Musquodoboit Harbour, 12 km away. Then Porters Lake, 25 km, and Lake Echo, 31 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Being tidal, the water moves twice a day, and the fishing moves with it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Halifax Regional Municipality cover Atlantic cod, coalfish and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Little Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -5°C in February up to 18°C in August. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Little Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a jetty 1.4 km off, worth knowing on a busy day. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Southeast Cove Lake, 1.6 km away. For Little Lake in particular, ask before you travel.