Fishing at MacLeod Lake, Richmond County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  MacLeod Lake sits within Richmond County in Nova Scotia. The water sits 84 metres up. Around 11 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.6 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Nearest place of any size is Eskasoni 3, 22 km away. Marion Bridge is 29 km and Sydney Forks 33 km. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on MacLeod Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, striped bass, American eel, alewife and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read MacLeod Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 18°C and February reads -6°C. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. From about late April to around late December, expect open water on the long-run figures. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On MacLeod Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. This sits inside Middle River - Framboise Wilderness Area, so read the reserve notices first. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Rock Lake is 1 km off. Ask locally about MacLeod Lake if anything is unclear.