Judd Lake Fishing Guide, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Judd Lake stands in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. The setting is dry open country. At some 4.46 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. At about 52 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. The closest town, Behchokǫ̀, is 65 km away. Further out sit Yellowknife (140 km) and Hay River (286 km). Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Judd Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Public occurrence data for North Slave Region names Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Judd Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 16°C in July and bottom out at -29°C in January. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Winter locks it down, and late May brings it back. From about late May to around late October, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Judd Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Strutt Lake at 5.6 km is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Judd Lake.