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20-acre lake near Dartmouth. The lake tops out around 30 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. What the data behind the map says about each species, season by season:
Penhorn Lake's chart carries 0.6 miles of bank. Its 1.4 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. Roughly 34% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.3 mi long. It sits in Halifax County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Oat Hill Lake, is 0 mi to the west.
Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 26 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | 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 | Shoreline break (14 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Come spring, look for white perch tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 9 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 9 to 30 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 26 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk | Deep basin (26 ft) | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 9 to 30 ft for winter. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 4 ft. Fish it in early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Deep basin (26 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (26 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Penhorn Lake carries 4 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 26 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 3, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | 1,080 | ~8.5" |
| May 1, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | 800 | ~10.3" |
| Apr 9, 2025 | Rainbow Trout | 520 | ~11.1" |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Brook Trout | 520 | ~7" |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Brook Trout | 20 | ~15.7" |
| Dec 2, 2019 | Rainbow Trout | 980 | ~9.8" |
| May 23, 2019 | Brook Trout | 1,000 | ~8.2" |
| May 23, 2019 | Brook Trout | 50 | ~16.5" |
Source: Nova Scotia hatchery stocking records, retrieved 2026-08-18.
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 Penhorn Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nova Scotia fishing regulations →
Penhorn Lake is about 30 ft (9 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 brook trout, white perch, yellow perch on Penhorn Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 26 ft of water that rates prime for white perch in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For brook trout, 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.
Yes — per Nova Scotia hatchery stocking records records, Penhorn Lake was most recently stocked Oct 3, 2025 with 1,080 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Penhorn Lake 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.
Oat Hill Lake 0 mi · Maynard Lake 1 mi · Lake Banook 1 mi · Russell Lake 1 mi · Lake Micmac 1 mi · Morris Lake 3 mi · Lake Charles 3 mi · Bissett Lake 4 mi · Williams Lake 5 mi · Chocolate Lake 5 mi · Anderson Lake 5 mi · Long Lake 6 mi
See how Penhorn Lake stacks up: 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.