Which fisheries are open in the waters off Glace Bay right now — lobster, snow crab — when the next opens or closes, and the DFO notices that set the dates.
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Glace Bay is a working fishing town — the wharf, and the Highland Fisheries plant (now Clearwater) that processes snow crab and Arctic surf clam and takes on up to about 150 people in season. This is what's open when in the waters off Cape Breton's east coast, and who sets the dates. Fisheries and Oceans Canada resets the seasons every year, so these are 2026's — check with DFO before you set out.
Open now
Lobster (LFA 27)
The inshore spring fishery. Glace Bay's fleet is in Lobster Fishing Area 27, the eastern Cape Breton coast.
closes 8 July 2026 · 3 days left
The inshore spring fishery. Glace Bay's fleet is in Lobster Fishing Area 27, the eastern Cape Breton coast.
8 May – 8 July 2026
DFO confirms the exact dates each spring. 2026 is the first year of a five-year pilot that moved the opening about a week earlier, to cut the handling of soft and egg-bearing lobster late in the season.
Snow crab areas 20–22, northeastern Nova Scotia — the waters off Glace Bay.
10 April – 15 July 2026
The inshore bait and food fish of the coast.
The commercial mackerel fishery stays closed through 2026 — the stock is in the critical zone. Only personal-use bait, recreational, and food, social and ceremonial fishing are allowed.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) — DFO's Maritimes and Gulf regions set these seasons and catch limits each year.
Confirm before you set out
The exact dates are set each year by the authority named above. These are the 2026 season dates — for next year’s, and for any in-season change, confirm with the authority before you set out.
Source: Season dates and catch limits from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's 2026 Maritimes and Gulf management decisions; the Highland Fisheries / Clearwater plant details from Clearwater and trade press, checked 6 July 2026 (today).