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90-acre lake near Dartmouth. The lake tops out around 30 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 77 acres wrapped in 2.1 miles of bank. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. About 58% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft on the modeled chart — that's the weed-and-bait zone. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.8 mi with a 0.4-mi widest point. Halifax County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Penhorn Lake, is 1 mi to the northwest.
When the water first warms, smallmouth bass slide up into 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 8 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (14 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (8 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Break off the point (14 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season white perch use the shallows, holding in 4 to 15 ft. Summer is a 9 to 30 ft game here, winter a 9 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Deep basin — deep basin, 26 ft, prime for summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| 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 |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: yellow perch in 3 to 12 ft. As the season builds they drop to 10 to 30 ft, wintering in 9 to 30 ft. Top water on the chart: Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in the 4 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| 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) |
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 18 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 4 ft of water that rates prime for chain pickerel in spring. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. Throw a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (4 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
12 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 26 ft, is the deepest of them.
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 Russell Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nova Scotia fishing regulations →
Russell 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 smallmouth bass, white perch, yellow perch, chain pickerel on Russell Lake.
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by 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 Russell 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.
Penhorn Lake 1 mi · Morris Lake 1 mi · Maynard Lake 2 mi · Oat Hill Lake 2 mi · Lake Banook 2 mi · Lake Micmac 3 mi · Bissett Lake 3 mi · Lake Charles 4 mi · Williams Lake 5 mi · Chocolate Lake 5 mi · Long Lake 6 mi · Anderson Lake 6 mi
See how Russell Lake stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Nova Scotia · best yellow perch lakes in Nova Scotia · best chain pickerel 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.