Timber Lake Fishing in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Timber Lake sits in Guysborough County, out in Nova Scotia. Salt water lies 26 km off. Roughly 45 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. About 3.1 km of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. On our Guysborough County list it sits near the top for size. You are 34 km from Antigonish. Port Hawkesbury follows at 58 km, then Stellarton at 61 km. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Timber Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Guysborough County cover alewife, American eel and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Timber Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -6°C in February and 18°C in August. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to Timber Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Mud Lake is 1.3 km off. For Timber Lake in particular, ask before you travel.