One of Canada's top angling locations
The St. John River is the perfect place for sport fishing.
Sport Fishing
Fishing rod. Check! Bait. Check! With so many strong-fighting fish swimming in Destination Nackawic, you may want to pack a thick line, too!
We’re not exaggerating or fishing for compliments either. Just ask the many tourists who travel to Destination Nackawic how fantastic the fishing is here!
Famous bass fishing
The Destination Nackawic Region is famous for its Bass fishing. It is known as the Bass Fishing Capital of the Maritimes.
Year-round fishing adventures
There are opportunities to enjoy your favourite pastime year-round.
Home to many fishing tournaments
Many fishing tournaments, both big and small, call Destination Nackawic home.
One of Canada’s Top Angling Destinations
New Brunswick offers fishing adventures to more than 65,000 licenced anglers each year. The Saint John River is one of the nation’s top angling regions, and the Mactaquac Headpond, the heart of Destination Nackawic, is the bass capital of the Maritimes.
Destination Nackawic is home to many three- to four-pound smallies—and some of the world’s fattest muskies, including the Nackawic Fatty! This prized fish measured 51×29.75 inches with a huge girth-to-length ratio of 0.58.
The Saint John River is hands-down one of Canada’s hot spots for striped bass. But the river has a terrific variety of sport fishing, including:
- Smallmouth bass
- Rainbow trout
- Brown trout
- Muskies
- Atlantic sturgeon
- Arctic char
- Salmon
Whether you prefer using lures, live bait, or flies, Destination Nackawic offers a little something for every type of fisher—from boat anglers to shore-bound anglers.
Year-Round Fishing Adventures
Any season is a great time to go fishing in Destination Nackawic—including winter! Licensed tourists can experience ice fishing from January to the end of March, and twice a year tourists can fish without a licence or guide:
- Family Day long weekend in February
- The first weekend of June
Other times of the year, you can easily obtain a licence to go fishing in Destination Nackawic. The cost varies depending on your age, the number of days you’d like to fish, whether or not you’re fishing for salmon, and if you intend to keep the fish or release them back into the water. A $5.00 fish stocking fee is applied to most angling licences to support conservation efforts to ensure the next generation can enjoy fishing as much as we do!
Get your fishing license online (or from authorized vendors and Service New Brunswick centres), and keep it in your tackle box.
Destination Nackawic Sport Fishing Events
Are you a fishing enthusiast looking for grade-A tournament angling? Look no further than Destination Nackawic. The region hosts several sport fishing events, including the Small Mouth Bass Open, the Triton/Evinrude Bass Tour, and the Rapala Bass Tournament.
Come soak up the beauty of pristine waterways—and reel in incredible fish! After a full day of fresh air and sun on the water, you can drink like a fish at Nackawic’s own Big Axe Brewery.
Once you try fishing in Destination Nackawic, you’ll be hooked.
Explore the beauty…of world-class fishing!
