Long Lake, N of Port Hawkesbury: Fishing Notes

• Overview

  Long Lake stands in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. It stands 56 metres above sea level. At 6 hectares it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Antigonish lies 55 km from the water. It is 147 km to Dartmouth, the nearest city. Other water nearby: Grassy Lake sits 0.4 km out, Robinson Lake some 1 km off, Owl Lake sits 1.2 km out, Deer Lake some 1.8 km off and Hardings Lake sits 3 km out. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Guysborough County cover alewife, American eel and brook trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Long Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -6°C at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late December in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Long Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Grassy Lake at 0.4 km is the sensible second choice. For Long Lake in particular, ask before you travel.