Carey Lake in South Slave Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Carey Lake stands in South Slave Region, Northwest Territories. It sits at 287 metres above sea level. This is big water, about 250.73 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. Its shape is complex, and the arms fish like separate waters. Size puts it in the front rank of our South Slave Region list. The closest town, Baker Lake, is 421 km away. Arviat is 487 km and Fort Smith 536 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Carey Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in South Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic charr and slimy sculpin. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Carey Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 13°C and January about -29°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid June. Ice usually gives way near mid June, and forms again about mid October. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Carey Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Barlow Lake, 22 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Carey Lake before loading the car.