Desperation Lake in North Slave Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Desperation Lake falls in North Slave Region, part of Northwest Territories. The setting is sage and rock. At 26.11 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. There is roughly 73 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. The nearest town is Yellowknife, 101 km away. Behchokǫ̀ follows at 187 km, then Hay River at 265 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Desperation Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Desperation Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -27°C to 15°C. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Look for the thaw near late May; the fishing lifts straight after. On average, late May opens the water and mid October closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Desperation Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Meander Lake at 14 km is the sensible second choice. For Desperation Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.