Crooked Foot Lake Fishing Guide, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  In Northwest Territories, Crooked Foot Lake falls inside North Slave Region. What surrounds it is sage and rock. About 9.02 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. Some 27 km of shoreline means conditions can differ from one end to the other. Yellowknife at 193 km is the nearest place to stop. After that come Behchokǫ̀ at 194 km and Hay River at 388 km. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Foot Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for North Slave Region names Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Crooked Foot Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -29°C to 14°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early June to mid October. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Crooked Foot Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Hunter Lake, 11 km out. Check the current arrangement for Crooked Foot Lake.