Doyle Lake, Northwest Territories: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Doyle Lake lies in South Slave Region, in Northwest Territories. The ground round it is dry open country. Around 10.87 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. The perimeter is close to 65 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. Most waters listed here for South Slave Region are larger. Yellowknife is the closest place, 278 km off. Further out sit Behchokǫ̀ (353 km) and Fort Smith (374 km). Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Doyle Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across South Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and Arctic charr. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Doyle Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 15°C, the coldest about -29°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. The water is typically free of ice between early June and mid October. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Time your trip to Doyle Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lac la Prise sits 19 km off and takes the overflow. Signs at Doyle Lake carry more weight than any list.