Finger Lake Fishing Guide, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Finger Lake is a North Slave Region water, Northwest Territories side. The setting is dry rangeland. At roughly 3 hectares, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our North Slave Region list. Some 14 km away sits Yellowknife, the nearest settlement. For a city, Edmonton is 1005 km off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Finger Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. North Slave Region records list Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Finger Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 16°C and January near -27°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late May. Climate figures give an open season running late May to late October. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Finger Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Ryan Lake sits 1.6 km off and takes the overflow. For Finger Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.