Pattersons Lake in Victoria County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Victoria County, Nova Scotia. Height above sea level is 93 metres. At roughly 8 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Florence is the closest place, 14 km off. North Sydney is 15 km and Sydney Mines 18 km. Other water nearby: Dalem Lake (2.2 km), 8.6 km out stands Oyster Pond, MacLeods Lake (9.2 km), 9.5 km out stands Scotch Lake and Fergusons Lake (12 km). You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Pattersons Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name Atlantic salmon, striped bass, Atlantic cod, alewife and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Pattersons Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 17°C, with February the cold end at about -6°C. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Pattersons Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Dalem Lake at 2.2 km is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Pattersons Lake.