Fishing Havant Lake in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Northwest Territories holds Havant Lake, in North Slave Region. It lies 416 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 9.71 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The perimeter is close to 32 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. For a base, Kugluktuk sits 223 km out. Edmonton is the closest city, 1371 km away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Havant Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for North Slave Region cover Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Havant Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 12°C on average, January about -30°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near early October. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan around that when you fish Havant Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Calder Lake at 14 km is the nearest alternative. For Havant Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.