Fishing Softwood Hill Lake in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  You will find Softwood Hill Lake in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. The country here is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 2 hectares, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Guysborough County list. Nearest town is Louisdale, 32 km off. The big place round here is Sydney, 113 km distant. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Softwood Hill Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The tide is the timetable on this water; two hours either side of the change usually fish hardest. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Guysborough County include coalfish, Atlantic cod, alewife, American eel and brook trout. The shape of Softwood Hill Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 18°C in August and bottoms out near -5°C in February. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Break-up sits around late April on average, with the water closing again about late December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Softwood Hill Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. 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. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Fogartys Little Lake is 0.6 km distant. Confirm before you fish Softwood Hill Lake.