[Transplant]

I am currently planning a week long trip to Ellenwood Lake Provincial Park, with the intention of fishing everything and everywhere. I have a few questions as I sort out some details, was hoping someone might be able to give me a big of advice and suggestions on the following:

Can anyone suggest a general area of Ellenwood Lake Park where I want to camp (tenting it) that will leave easy access for me to drag the kayak to the lake? I have wheels for the kayak, I don't mind a bit of a walk, but I've never been to the place so I'm not sure where in the park would be closest to a lake access.

Tusket River mouth: Based on my research my best shot at Bluefish is the Tusket river area in early August. Can anyone suggest a location in the mouth of the Tusket that I can easily launch a kayak?

I plan to fish the ocean as much as possible, but when the weather doesn't cooperate I need some back up plans. I don't mind hunting out my own spots through the Tusket system, but can anyone suggest areas I should try, and areas I might want to avoid? Obviously not looking for hot spots, I'll find my own. Just looking for some suggestions for areas I might want to visit for some decent fishing, especially if you can put me on good white and yellow perch for an afternoon.

If anyone can help me plan my trip I'd appreciate any advice. It's my first trip to the area, and my first week long fishing trip in years, so I'm trying to stuff as much as I can into it in the short amount of time I have to work with. I have no issues hunting out my own spots, but obviously any opportunity to minimize the slower fishing and put me on some productive areas would be appreciated.

 

[girlfisher]

try lake Vaughn and salmon lake very close to Ellen wood

 

[Transplant]

Lake Vaughn is on my list, I know there's some decent pickerel and smallmouth fishing there. Same thing for Salmon Lake?

 

[Tawnka]

Transplant, Ellenwood Park is small enough to access Ellenwood Lake within I'd say 3-4mins walk, it's a small place. If you travel southerly on Ellenwood you'll end up in Agard Lake, small lake, unknown if any amount of fish in there, however if you follow the road, Mood Rd. I don't think you can access Harris & Annis from Agard, this is the start of the Annis River, so if you gained access to Harris, theres pickeral in that system I know for sure so has to be some bait as well, as you keep travelling southerly you'll end up in Salmon Lake which sits on Hwy 103 ~3.5km from Yar exit, end of Hwy. As for Tusket River access, I remember yrs ago fishing that along the Raynardton Rd (pronounced Reh-nerd-tin). Your best bet would be to take Tusket exit, get to Carls Grocery & all along the same side of the road I believe is crown land, I assume theres better access from a slip or small wharf in Hubbards Point but again it's been 20+yrs since I fished that area, sorry coudln't be any more help. If you have any more questions, pm me or email and I'll see what I can come with for you, I am from Yar originally, lived there 34yrs.

 

[Transplant]

Thank you Tawnka, I appreciate it. August is a ways away still, but it's not like I can spend my free time fishing these days

 

[girlfisher]

there are a lot of big pickerrel and small mouth down here esp in those two systems. I am sure you will find some. If you start getting a lot of small ones move to another body of water it is a stunted population you are in and there are better spots close by guaranteed. But Vaughn and salmon lake always produce well for me Good luck.

 

[zum]

There are a bunch of camp sites bordering the lake so real easy to launch.
Ellenwood lake actually has some real good fishing...pickerel and bass that is. The whole system (Annis River) is full of both species and with a yak you should be able to find some lesser fished areas.
Bluefish / stripped bass are hit and miss, better wait till the time arrives to ask about them. Wharf fishing can be fun, pollock , sculpin, dog fish , squid...great way to kill an afternoon.

 

[Transplant]

Thanks for the help Zum. I picked Ellenwood mostly because of the fishing, there's a couple of private campgrounds in the area that have better services for the cost (power and water to campsites for cheaper than the provincial rates) but I want to be able to hit the lakes early and stay out late without having to pack everything into the car constantly. I can survive without power and can bring some water jugs, I'd rather do that than have the fishing suffer.

I'm really looking forward to getting some ocean fishing in around the area. Bluefish will be a lucky occurrence, but even an afternoon or two of mackerel, pollock and a cod or two would make me happy. I figure once I get into the area I'll hit the wharfs and talk to the locals for some info for finding decent fishing close enough to shore to get the kayak into them. Even a sculpin will make me happy since I've never caught one. But just one of them...

 

[OleNewfieDog]

Even a sculpin will make me happy since I've never caught one. But just one of them...

Watch how you handle them, those spines off their back can do the job on your hands. They look like the devil and seagulls won't eat em, so what does that tell ya.

 

[Transplant]

I'm with the seagulls... I won't eat them either

 

[Transplant]

Is anyone familiar with Lake Breeze Campground or Darling Lake? I'm taking the guess that Darling Lake should be similar fishing to most of the other lakes in the area but if anyone could confirm that I'd be a happy man.

For some reason the provincial campgrounds in this province are offering no additional benefits other than a piece of ground to camp on, at the same price as private campgrounds that provide water and power to the site. I can certainly manage camping for a week with no power, but given the option of bringing an extension cord and a coffee maker rather than heating my water over a propane stove every morning to have instant coffee... I'm awfully tempted by the site with power. Unless the fishing suffers of course.

 

[Tawnka]

No info for you, re: Lakebreeze, I do recall fishing Darling Lake about 5-6yrs ago, don't recall an overly productive day, I'd say about 12 total of yellow perch and smallies but that's it, for about 6-7hrs.

If you look at google maps and look NE, you'll see Killams lake, very good place to fish, lots of smallies, not many large ones, however its been about 3 yrs since I've been there, and NE again is Two Island Lake, best place I've ever fished, but again been yrs and I have been told the locals that live/have camps near bought the road and now do their own plowing, caretaking etc, only way to access that body of water as you'd never carry a watercraft that far through them thick woods.

Never been into Lake George, but it's my understanding since that's the main water source for Yarmouth and surrounding If i'm not mistaken, no gas powered propulsion is allowed, heard lots of pickeral in there though.

Crap, now I have to get back down home and get my craft into these lakes. LOL

 

[Transplant]

The info you're providing is fantastic, thank you very much. I'll deal with the lack of power

And if you're missing the fishing that much then I guess I'm making the right choice to head down to that area for a week to see what the fuss is all about. I always hear good things about the fishing down that way, it's about time I find out for myself.

 

[NSYakfisher]

We do a trip every year from Ellenwood lake via kayak down sometimes as far as salmon Lake. The fishing in the part is excellent as is all the water on the Annis System.

Other spots is Wentworth Lake , OOP, Vaughn and Reynards and really any lake is the surrounding areA... Darlings has a good smallmouth fishery but so does 1000 lakes between Ellenwood and there.

 

[Tawnka]

I've never experienced such good fishing than down in the area where your heading in my life, I was told numerous times that Shubie Grand Lake is chock full of all kinds of species of fish, yet I either am fishing the wrong setups or baits, definitely no shortage of variety on my part, just can't seem to catch what everyone seems to.

We do a trip every year from Ellenwood lake via kayak down sometimes as far as salmon Lake. The fishing in the part is excellent as is all the water on the Annis System.

Other spots is Wentworth Lake , OOP, Vaughn and Reynards and really any lake is the surrounding areA... Darlings has a good smallmouth fishery but so does 1000 lakes between Ellenwood and there.

If by OOP you mean Ogden, Pete, Parr, I'd do some more looking into those, although the smallies are abundant beyond belief there, is it not those lakes that are experiencing the blue algae issue from the mink farms runoff or has that been solved? If so, I will most definitely be trying those areas again, is the K&L Annis rd access still there between Petes & Parr?

 

[mickey finn]

Wedgeport wharf was great last year for macks, that would definitely be a spot to try.

 

[Transplant]

Just a quick summary of my week in yarmouth...

Anyone that told me the fishing was fantastic was spot on. I didn't get into numbers like I may have expected, but it wasn't for lack of trying. The weather definitely played a factor a few days, I didn't pick a good week for that. I fished Ellenwood a lot, and made my way down the system and found pickerel and smallmouth everywhere I went. Prior to going to Yarmouth I had caught 2 pickerel at 25" long, and one at 25.5 through the ice. I had 6 pickerel over 25" in 3 days on Ellenwood, with 2 over 25. And everything I was catching were monsters, big fat fish. And I'm sure the fishing only gets better. I also managed one morning fishing outside of the wharf on the Tusket River side of Wedgeport, caught about 200 mackerel, pretty much all tinkers. If anyone else is considering a trip down, do it, you'll be happy you did. And feel free to ask me any questions about Ellenwood Campground or any of the lakes around Ellenwood Lake and I'll help where I can.

 

[fishing fanatic]

Monster size smallies and CP. Glad to hear the trip was a success for ya. I always found the CP to be a lot fatter in that end of the province. Big difference in weight between a 25" from hrm and another from Yarmouth area.

 

[Transplant]

Not all of them were fat Chris, a good number that I caught shallow were ridiculously thin. But overall yes, big fat pickerel that put up an unbelievable fight when hooked.

 

[Firefly]

Nice fishing. I'm from the area and familiar with the areas you fished, glad you had some great success!