Gagnon Lake Fishing in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  The North Slave Region entry here is Gagnon Lake, in Northwest Territories. The land about it is northern bush. At roughly 102.33 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. Long inlets mean the far ends can be calm while the main body is rough. Size puts it in the front rank of our North Slave Region list. The closest town, Yellowknife, is 214 km away. Then Fort Smith, 233 km, and Behchokǫ̀, 306 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Gagnon Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Gagnon Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 15°C and January near -28°C on the long-run figures. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. Count the season from break-up, usually late May. Ice usually gives way near late May, and forms again about late October. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. At Gagnon Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Walker Lake, 25 km out. Treat access at Gagnon Lake as something to verify.