Deville Lake, Northwest Territories: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The South Slave Region end of Northwest Territories holds Deville Lake. The ground around here is dry open country. At 22.81 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. Around 94 km of margin, so directions matter more than a general plan. The closest town, Yellowknife, is 394 km away. Behchokǫ̀ lies 462 km off, Fort Smith another 478 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Deville Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. South Slave Region records list Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic charr and slimy sculpin among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Deville Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 14°C and January about -30°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly mid October. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Deville Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Smart Lake, 17 km away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Deville Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.