Fishing at Square Lake, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia

• Overview

  Square Lake stands in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia. Around the bank it is rolling bush. Around 20 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 2.1 km of margin, front to back. For supplies, Port Hawkesbury is 39 km out. Then Louisdale, 48 km, and Antigonish, 56 km. Close by you have: Trout Lake 2.3 km away, Canters Lake lies 2.4 km on, Petitpas Lake 2.5 km away, Cupboard Lake lies 2.9 km on and Double Farm Lake 3.1 km away. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Square Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name alewife, American eel, brook trout and Atlantic salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Square Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 18°C at the top of summer and -6°C at the bottom of winter. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near late December in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Expect Square Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Trout Lake, 2.3 km out. Check the position at Square Lake before loading the car.