Stillwater · Granite · Northwest Territories

Great Slave Lake

Great Slave Lake terrain map

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 baitfish/streamer · 8–10
Goodlive now
Summer pike — dawn and dusk topwater
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
77% confidence

Great Slave Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindS 15 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
LB
Large baitfish/streamer8–10
Strip it for fish chasing fry or in coloured water.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
S 15 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp16°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1009 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Pike
When
Pike are ambush-feeding from weed cover. Fry and small perch concentrate in the warm shallows, drawing pike in during low-light periods. Mid-day pike retreat to deeper weed channels.
Where
Summer pike on the fly. Fish early (first light) and late (last hour) when pike push shallow to feed. Topwater is king — poppers and gurglers over weed beds. Mid-day fish hold deep in weed channels. Take a break during the heat of the day. Use a 9-10wt rod with a stiff butt for turning big fish away from weed.
The plan
Plan A

Summer pike on the fly. Fish early (first light) and late (last hour) when pike push shallow to feed. Topwater is king — poppers and gurglers over weed beds. Mid-day fish hold deep in weed channels. Take a break during the heat of the day. Use a 9-10wt rod with a stiff butt for turning big fish away from weed.

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

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August 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
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
86%
Cloud100%
Wind65%
Temp100%

Conditions are ideal for Great Slave Lake — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

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
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 June → 30 September
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts