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220-acre lake near Dartmouth. The lake tops out around 98 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Shoreline on the chart totals 6.6 miles. The 2.5 development index tells the story — a convoluted bank whose fishable edge far outruns the acreage. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 40% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 2.1 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.6 mi at the beam. Halifax County claims this one. If the bite dies, Lake Micmac is 2 mi to the south.
Come spring, look for smallmouth bass tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 45 ft. Start at Main-lake point. It's a point holding about 25 ft of water and rates prime come fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (25 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (44 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Spring white perch on Lake Charles hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. They move out to 15 to 40 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 50 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 44 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning. The summer box starts with a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (44 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (44 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Break off the point (44 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. Throw a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (44 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (83 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring brook trout on Lake Charles hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 6 ft that grades good for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
The chart marks 11 structure features on Lake Charles; the deepest is Deep basin at about 83 ft.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Nova Scotia waters are set by the Nova Scotia sportfishing rules — and special regulations can apply to Lake Charles specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nova Scotia fishing regulations →
Lake Charles is about 98 ft (30 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target smallmouth bass, white perch, yellow perch, brook trout on Lake Charles.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.
For smallmouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Lake Charles is regulated by the Nova Scotia sportfishing rules. Check the official Nova Scotia regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Lake Micmac 2 mi · Lake Banook 3 mi · Anderson Lake 3 mi · Penhorn Lake 3 mi · Lake William 3 mi · Oat Hill Lake 3 mi · Maynard Lake 4 mi · Rocky Lake 4 mi · Russell Lake 4 mi · Powder Mill Lake 5 mi · Morris Lake 6 mi · Lake Thomas 6 mi
See how Lake Charles stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Nova Scotia · best yellow perch lakes in Nova Scotia · best brook trout lakes in Nova Scotia · best white perch lakes in Nova Scotia
More water nearby: Halifax County fishing maps (40 charts). Browse all Nova Scotia fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.