Fishing at Darrell Lake, South Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Darrell Lake is listed under South Slave Region, Northwest Territories. The bank is 342 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to some 28.19 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The outline measures near 203 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Supplies mean a trip to Yellowknife, 462 km off. The big place round here is Edmonton, 1222 km distant. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Darrell Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across South Slave Region, recorded fish include Arctic grayling, lake trout and Arctic charr. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Darrell Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 13°C in July and bottom out at -30°C in January. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Break-up comes around mid June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages suggest open water from about mid June through to roughly early October. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Darrell Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Lac du Bois, 21 km away. What applies at Darrell Lake may have changed since it was mapped.