First of all this report is not about Square Lake - it is about nearby Nels Johnson Lakes. I have requested that Mike add Nels Johnson Lakes to the Kitsap County lake list but so far he probably has not found the time. On Saturday Camp Calvin State Park had a very rare open house where visitors could actually drive into the park -- after this property has been owned by the public for 16 years. Anyway, I have known about the Nels Johnson Lakes (and their bass) for about 40 years but never had the chance to fish them because of access. So, on Saturday, I loaded up a couple rods, a small back pack and checked out the lakes. They are small but one of them is a really beautiful remote lake that probably looks about the same as it a couple hundred years ago. No houses on the shoreline and it is very marshy and boggy making shoreline fishing quite difficult - even when wearing boots. I was casting mostly floating minnows and spinnerbaits. I finally hooked up with a respectable little largemouth that was 12 1/2 inches (I had a camera and a small tape measure in my back pack). I left the little bass in the water while I prepared my tape measure and camera. He was measured and phographed (rather crudely) and released. I also saw a lot of bluegill along the shoreline. Bass anglers with the itch to explore these lakes can still walk in from the Lake Flora Road ( a little over a half mile) and fish the lakes. You can see the State Park sign along the road. Very limited road side parking available and don't block the gate or you will be towed. Oh yes, a new personal best lake record!

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