If you're wondering about the "box" patterns that are most often used to show the scale at a certain position on the fretboard, and you're unsure about the fingering, look at Hunter's post.
Ok, so one finger per fret and no whimping out not using your pinky. Now, for a moment, put aside the tonality of the scale (don't worry about the tonic, or the mode of the scale for this part) and just look at the pattern. You'll want to use one finger per fret like Hunter said, and you shouldn't have to shift more than one fret up or down to complete the pattern. Using this method, you should be able to discern the most efficient fingering for the pattern.
Now DO concern yourself with the tonic, and the mode of the scale. Start on the root note of the scale and play through the pattern using the fingering you came up with in step one. This may mean that you're starting the scale on the root note with a finger other than your first finger... that's fine, just play the pattern through.
Sometimes people get thrown off because they want to play the root note of the scale with their first finger starting off... and this doesn't always mesh with an efficient fingering for playing the pattern. Trick is in terms of playing notes, trying not to think of one finger as weaker or stronger than another. Once you start getting that down, you'll be more fluid when it comes to playing the scale patterns. You may find that for bends or vibrato, you favor specific fingers, usually your third finger, and that's fine... just be able to return to the normal fingering pattern when just playing the notes through.