Scout Lake Fishing in Victoria County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Scout Lake sits within Victoria County in Nova Scotia. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. Small at around 3 hectares: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Victoria County list. The nearest place of any size is Florence, 25 km away. Beyond it, North Sydney at 28 km and Sydney Mines at 29 km. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Scout Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Victoria County records list Atlantic salmon, striped bass, alewife, brook trout and American eel among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Scout Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 17°C in August and bottoms out near -7°C in February. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. It holds true on Scout Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Little Lake, 4.7 km out. Check the current arrangement for Scout Lake.