Rat Lake in Yarmouth County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Rat Lake in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Height above sea level is 81 metres. The water measures roughly 8 hectares, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Yarmouth County list. The nearest place of any size is Shelburne, 40 km away. Further out sit Yarmouth (42 km) and Barrington (52 km). One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Rat Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Yarmouth County include American eel, yellow perch, Atlantic salmon, white perch and alewife. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Rat Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -5°C in February up to 17°C in July. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around late December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Rat Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Davis River Round Lake is 1.3 km off. What applies at Rat Lake may have changed since it was mapped.