Fishing at Lac de Charloit, South Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Lac de Charloit stands in South Slave Region, Northwest Territories. The setting is sage and rock on every side. This is big water, about 99.81 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. Long inlets mean the far ends can be calm while the main body is rough. Supplies mean a trip to Yellowknife, 357 km off. The big place round here is Edmonton, 1186 km distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lac de Charloit

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across South Slave Region: Arctic grayling, lake trout, Arctic charr and slimy sculpin. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The shape of Lac de Charloit rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 13°C and January near -30°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Averages suggest open water from about early June through to roughly mid October. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lac de Charloit.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. 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. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Clinton-Colden Lake at 25 km is the sensible second choice. For Lac de Charloit, the notice at the access point is the final word.