Stillwater · Granite · Northwest Territories, CA

Great Slave Lake

GreatSlaveLakeAtDettahDSC00857-1

Great Slave Lake is North America's deepest, a vast Shield lake whose East Arm is a celebrated trophy lake-trout fishery.

Good · Pike
Large pike streamer / Bulkhead (XL) · 4/0–2/0 (7–10 in)
Goodlive now
Autumn pike — big fish, big flies
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Fishable ripple — drift the productive shore.
65% confidence

Great Slave Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 23 km/hModerate breeze · Gusts to 31 km/h
Today's fly
LP
Large pike streamer / Bulkhead (XL)4/0–2/0 (7–10 in)
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze · Gusts to 31 km/h
SW 23 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp3.1°C
Air temp-3°C
CloudClear
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
South-western end

A southwesterly has held for 17 hours, running colder than the water (-3°C air against 3°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered south-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Pike
When
Pike are feeding aggressively as water cools, building reserves for winter. Weed is dying back, concentrating both pike and prey fish into predictable holding areas.
Where
Autumn/winter pike on the fly — big fish season. Pike are putting on condition and take large flies confidently. Fish dropping weed edges, deep channels, and structure. Start with a sinking line and move to faster-sinking as the water cools. Biggest pike of the year come in this window.
The plan
Plan A

Autumn/winter pike on the fly — big fish season. Pike are putting on condition and take large flies confidently. Fish dropping weed edges, deep channels, and structure. Start with a sinking line and move to faster-sinking as the water cools. Biggest pike of the year come in this window.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Gray DrakeHatch
1
1
CallibaetisHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Pike fly box

Probably the best pike fly fishing window of the year. Cooling water activates pike metabolism and baitfish shoal up before winter, concentrating the predators. Fish are aggressive feeders moving to windward banks, dropoffs, and points where baitfish are pushed. Large profile baitfish streamers on intermediate lines retrieved at medium pace, with pauses at structure edges. Count-down retrieves to find the active depth. Fish move — cover ground rather than working one spot.

LP
Large pike streamer / Bulkhead (XL)Top
4/0–2/0 (7–10 in) · Large pike streamer / Bulkhead
High-confidence seasonal pick
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Trophy lake trout C&R/limits; protected-area rules in the East Arm
  • Verify current NWT regulations.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
38%
Cloud25%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Great Slave Lake's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Gallery · 2
  1. GreatSlaveLakeAtDettahDSC00857-1
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

After ice-off the big lakers hunt the cold shallows where they're catchable on stripped streamers, and the feeder rivers run with Arctic grayling. Northern pike add another fly target. Immense, cold and wild, mostly fished from fly-in lodges.

Under the surface

Great Slave Lake is the deepest lake in North America, a huge Shield water holding trophy lake trout, Arctic grayling and northern pike, with the famous East Arm a renowned trophy lake-trout fishery served by fly-in lodges. Cold, clear and immense, it offers shallow-water fly fishing for big lakers after ice-off and grayling in the rivers that feed it.

Wading: Vast deep cold lake, sudden weather — a boat/lodge fishery

  • Lake
  • Granite
  • Stillwater
  • Shoal
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 June → 30 September
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureWinter Pike on the Flypike tactics and handlingEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Great Slave Lake is a lake in Northwest Territories — South Slave, Canada. The catchment geology is recorded as granite, and the water sits at about 156 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: lake trout, arctic grayling and pike. The trout season is recorded as running from 15 June to 30 September. Best window recorded for anglers: Mid-June to September; lakers in the shallows just after ice-off. Core methods listed: Dries and nymphs for grayling in feeders; Big flies for pike in the bays.