Fishing at Round Lake, Pictou County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Set in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, this is Round Lake. It sits 31 km in from the sea. Surface area runs to about 4 hectares — small enough to read in one session. Antigonish sits 34 km from here and is the nearest stop. Dartmouth sits 130 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Others within reach: Siloam Lake at about 0.4 km, White Lake at 1.1 km, Jocks Lake at about 1.2 km, Sucker Lake at 1.4 km and Milldam Lake at about 1.8 km. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Round Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Species logged across Pictou County include American eel, rainbow smelt, alewife, Atlantic salmon and striped bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Round Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between February at about -7°C and August at about 18°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. That shapes the year on Round Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. For a change of water, Siloam Lake is 0.4 km distant. What applies at Round Lake may have changed since it was mapped.