Fishing at Wild Duck Lake, Annapolis County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Set in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, this is Wild Duck Lake. The bank gives way to pine and birch. Roughly 13 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 2.0 km on foot. Compared with other Nova Scotia water on our list, it sits high. Supplies mean a trip to Middleton, 38 km off. Greenwood is 40 km and Bridgewater 42 km. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Wild Duck Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Annapolis County include alewife, Atlantic salmon, chain pickerel, yellow perch and blueback herring. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Wild Duck Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -6°C to 18°C. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. That is the shape of the year on Wild Duck Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A wire trace and a big bright lure handle the pike; deep water asks for a heavier spoon. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Rae Lake is 2.5 km distant. Check the position on Wild Duck Lake before loading the car.