Fishing at Bedford Lake, South Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Northwest Territories holds Bedford Lake, in South Slave Region. The water sits 312 metres up. At 26.27 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The shoreline runs to about 83 km, far more than one trip can cover. Nearest place of any size is Yellowknife, 256 km away. Beyond it, Behchokǫ̀ at 332 km and Fort Smith at 356 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Bedford Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across South Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic charr and slimy sculpin. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Bedford Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 15°C for July and -29°C for January. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early June. Expect the water usable from around early June until roughly mid October. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Bedford Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Goodspeed Lake is 11 km distant. For Bedford Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.