Winter Fishing Begins with Ice Caution

Nova Scotian anglers are being encouraged to carefully check the ice when the winter sport fishing season opens across the province Jan. 1.

Unseasonably mild weather to date has resulted in little or no ice on lakes throughout Nova Scotia, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture cautions anglers.

The department also announced today that five new areas are being opened for winter sport fishing. These openings result from consultation with recreational fishing advisory councils, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the provincial Inland Fisheries Division.

"We're pleased to be opening up the season," said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell. "But please, be especially careful on the ice this year, with the weather being so warm."

New this year are the Middle River Lake/Reservoir in Pictou County and Angevine (Dewars) Lake in Cumberland County, which open Jan. 1 until March 31 for white and yellow perch.

In Cape Breton County, new angling for rainbow trout begins Jan. 1 to March 31 in Levers Lake and No. 20 Dam with a bag limit of two fish per day.

Sucker Lake in Lunenburg County will have the same bag limit for rainbow trout and will be open Jan. 1 to Feb. 28.

Mr. Colwell said the new openings bring new fishing opportunities. "We're continuing to fine-tune the process to protect our wild trout stocks. At the same time, we're opening up new lakes so anglers can enjoy fishing for stocked trout and under-utilized species."

Rainbow trout fishing in the Bras d'Or Lakes will also be permitted from Jan. 1 until March 31, with a bag limit of two fish per day. This year, to protect wild brook trout and Atlantic salmon stocks, rainbow trout anglers at the Bras d'Or Lakes will not be permitted to fish upstream from Black River Bridge in Dundee. Three other areas will also be closed, as they were last year: upstream from the Baddeck River Highway Bridge on the 105 Highway, inside the East Bay Sandbar and upstream from Crowdis Bridge in River Denys Basin.

The following lakes are open again this year. Note there are some changes:

• Gairloch Lake, Pictou Co.; rainbow trout; Jan. 1 - March 31; bag limit of two rainbow trout a day; no bag limit on perch

• Shortts Lake, Colchester Co.; chain pickerel; Jan. 1 - March 31; no bag limit

• Albro Lake, Halifax Co.; rainbow trout; Jan. 15 - March 15; bag limit of two rainbow trout a day

• Lac d'en Bas, Ameros, Spectacle, Seth, Bonaventure and Eel lakes, Digby Co.; chain pickerel; Jan. 15 - Feb. 28; no bag limit

• Cameron and Gillis lakes in Pinevale, Antigonish Co.; rainbow trout; Jan. 1 - March 31; bag limit of two rainbow trout a day