Third Lake Fishing in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Look for Third Lake in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. The surface lies 56 metres up. It covers about 10 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Port Hawkesbury is the closest town at 39 km. The nearest city of size is Sydney, 131 km away. Other water nearby: Second Lake a shade over 0.4 km, First Lake 0.6 km away, Cow Lake a shade over 1.3 km, Jamieson Back Lake 2.2 km away and Eastern Big Lake a shade over 2.5 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Third Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Guysborough County list coalfish, Atlantic cod, alewife and American eel. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Third Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -6°C in February up to 18°C in August. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Third Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Second Lake at 0.4 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Third Lake for certain.