Fishing Jackson Lake in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  You will find Jackson Lake in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. The setting is sage and rock on every side. With some 90 hectares of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With 7.6 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It is a small entry by North Slave Region standards. Nearest town is Yellowknife, 15 km off. It is 1006 km to Edmonton, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Jackson Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Survey and observation records for North Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Jackson Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 16°C at the top of summer and -27°C at the bottom of winter. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. The lid tends to go about late May and return around late October. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. That is the shape of the year on Jackson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Walsh Lake is 1.9 km distant. Treat Jackson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.