Fishing at Aurora Lake, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  This water sits in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. The bank gives way to dry rangeland. Surface area runs to some 15.30 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The perimeter is close to 42 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. It is high ground by Northwest Territories standards. Head to Yellowknife, 228 km away, for anything you forgot. Edmonton is the closest city, 1207 km away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Aurora Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Survey and observation records for North Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Aurora Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 13°C and January reads -29°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. Average temperatures cross freezing around early June in spring and again near mid October in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That shapes the year on Aurora Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Singing Lake at 9.3 km is the nearest alternative. Where Aurora Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.