Winter sportfishing season opens

The winter sportfishing season opened in Nova Scotia on Jan. 1, with a number of lakes and waterways in the tri-counties open for trout fishing, as well as angling for chain pickerel, white perch and yellow perch.

Everitts Lake In Digby County and Beaver Dam Lake in Shelburne County are both open for speckled and rainbow trout fish- ing. The daily bag limit is two fish.

The Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture stock many lakes with trout every winter to ensure anglers have a good chance to catch a fish.

Chain pickerel, white perch and yellow perch open areas include the Meteghan River in Digby County including all lakes and tributaries. In Shelburne County, Walls Lake, Lake George and the Ponds in Port LaTour and Bakers Flats on Cape Sable Island.

In Yarmouth County, the Annis River and the Yarmouth Kiack Brook (near Belleville South) including all lakes and tributaries are open. The daily bag limit for chain pickerel is 100, and 25 each for white and yellow perch.

A general fishing licence is required to winter fish and can be purchased at Department of Lands and Forestry offices. Licences purchased in 2018 are valid until March 31. Anglers can take advantage of the annual winter sportfishing weekend Feb. 16 to 18, when residents and nonresidents can fish in open winter sportfishing areas without a licence.

“Sportfishing is a popular outdoor activity that our province offers and generates over $58 million in revenue annually,” said Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell in a press release. “Safety is very important when fishing in the winter. I want to remind anglers to dress in layers and if fishing through the ice to check the ice thickness and conditions before proceeding.”