Fawn Lake in South Slave Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Northwest Territories, Fawn Lake belongs to South Slave Region. The country round it is dry rangeland from end to end. This is big water, about 25.51 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. You have roughly 79 km of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. Nearest place of any size is Behchokǫ̀, 103 km away. Beyond it, Yellowknife at 166 km and Hay River at 178 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Fawn Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across South Slave Region: Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic charr and slimy sculpin. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Fawn Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -24°C to 17°C. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. Averages place the thaw at mid May and the freeze at late October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That shapes the year on Fawn Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Second Lake at 11 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Fawn Lake should be assumed from this page alone.