Little MacLeod Lake in Richmond County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little MacLeod Lake sits within Richmond County in Nova Scotia. Salt water lies 2.9 km off. It covers about 6 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Richmond County are larger. Nearest town is St. Peter's, 12 km off. Sydney sits 68 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little MacLeod Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Richmond County records list Atlantic salmon, coalfish, striped bass, Atlantic cod and American eel among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Little MacLeod Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 18°C and February at -6°C. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Little MacLeod Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 1 km away. None of that is settled for Little MacLeod Lake in what we hold.