Fishing at Drygeese Lake, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Drygeese Lake sits in North Slave Region, out in Northwest Territories. The surroundings are sage and rock. At some 3.77 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The edge covers about 17 km, enough to hold several distinct areas. Yellowknife lies 33 km from the water. Behchokǫ̀ lies 96 km off, Hay River another 230 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Drygeese Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. North Slave Region records list Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Drygeese Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -27°C at the bottom of winter. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. Averages suggest open water from about late May through to roughly late October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. It sets the rhythm of the year at Drygeese Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Chitty Lake is 2.8 km distant. Check the position at Drygeese Lake before loading the car.