Shoulder Blade Lake, Newfoundland and Labrador: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Shoulder Blade Lake stands in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador. Height above sea level is 233 metres. Roughly 2.05 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. There is roughly 11 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Supplies mean a trip to Grand Falls-Windsor, 44 km off. Bishop's Falls lies 60 km off, Botwood another 77 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Shoulder Blade Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Grand Falls-Windsor list Atlantic salmon, American eel, brook trout, rainbow smelt and finescale dace. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Shoulder Blade Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -9°C in February and 16°C in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. On average, early May opens the water and early December closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Shoulder Blade Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Sandy Lake, 5.2 km away. Check the position at Shoulder Blade Lake before loading the car.