Fishing Second Cow Lake in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Set in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, this is Second Cow Lake. The setting is lake country bush on every side. This is a pocket water of some 5 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Port Hawkesbury lies 38 km from the water. Louisdale is 40 km and St. Peter's 52 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Second Cow Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Guysborough County include coalfish, Atlantic cod, 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. At Second Cow Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 18°C, the coldest about -6°C. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in late April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Second Cow Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. The nearest alternative is First Cow Lake, 0.3 km out. Check the current arrangement for Second Cow Lake.