Fishing at Cruikshank Lake, South Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Cruikshank Lake sits in South Slave Region, out in Northwest Territories. It sits at 306 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 9.81 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The shoreline runs to about 85 km, far more than one trip can cover. It is a small entry by South Slave Region standards. The town to know is Baker Lake, 464 km out. Further out sit Yellowknife (471 km) and Fort Smith (521 km). The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Cruikshank Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across South Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic charr and slimy sculpin. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Work Cruikshank Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from -30°C in January up to 14°C in July. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between early June and mid October. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Cruikshank Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. StreetLake sits 13 km off and takes the overflow. For Cruikshank Lake in particular, ask before you travel.