The St. Mary's River is an excellent Nova Scotia salmon and trout river with good public access and strong conservation ethos. Excellent grilse runs (July–September) with some early multi-sea-winter fish. Mixed brook trout habitat. Atlantic salmon are managed under DFO conservation rules — mandatory catch-and-release of large (multi-sea-winter) salmon applies in most areas, with any grilse retention strictly limited by zone; check current regulations before fishing.
The St. Mary's is the largest river in Nova Scotia, draining some 1,350 square kilometres through four branches — the West, East, North and Main — that gather from a network of around a hundred and thirty lakes before meeting near Sherbrooke and running to the Atlantic. It is a legendary salmon and trout river of the eastern mainland: clean, cold, lightly stained freestone water over a hard glaciated bed, threading deep Acadian forest that shelters wood turtle and otter. The salmon are noted for heavy runs in spring and early summer, though the stock is now endangered and conservation-managed. The character is big, branching, moderate-gradient water with long holding pools and gravel runs. Wading is steady on firm rock and gravel, with proper care for the larger pools and the heavier spring flow.
Wading: Larger pools and heavy spring flow
- Mixed
- Unconfined
- Pool riffle
- Large river