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.

Prime · Pike
Large baitfish/streamer · 8–10
Primelive now
Autumn pike — big fish, big flies
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Lovely fishing wave. Three flies and a long leader.
81% confidence

Great Slave Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindNW 24 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
LB
Large baitfish/streamer8–10
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
NW 24 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp7.2°C
Air temp6°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftNW wind
South-eastern end

A northwesterly has held for 7 hours at much the same temperature as the 7°C water. No thermal steer either way, but the drift still stacks food against the south-eastern end — the bank it is blowing into — so start there. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. 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.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September 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
LB
Large baitfish/streamerTop
8–10 · Streamer
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
AL
Articulated leech
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
PF
Pike fly (deceiver)
12–16 · Fly
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
BH
Bead-head nymph (grayling)
14–16 · Nymph
Search the runs and pockets, dead-drift near the bottom.
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
45%
Cloud50%
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

Great Slave Lake is North America's deepest, a vast Shield lake whose East Arm is a celebrated trophy lake-trout fishery. 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 temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts