Second Lake Fishing near Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Look for Second Lake in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. It sits 2.5 km in from the sea. This is a pocket water of some 2 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Guysborough County standards. You are 39 km from Port Hawkesbury. For a city, Sydney is 131 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Second Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Guysborough County include coalfish, Atlantic cod, alewife and American eel. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Second Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 18°C for August and -6°C for February. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Once it clears, about late April, the fishing comes on quickly. In an average year the thaw lands around late April and the freeze near late December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on Second Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, First Lake is 0.3 km distant. The position on Second Lake is worth confirming on the day.