Lac la Martre in North Slave Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The North Slave Region end of Northwest Territories holds Lac la Martre. The country here is dry open country. Behchokǫ̀ is the closest place, 107 km off. Then Yellowknife, 200 km, and Fort Simpson, 234 km. Close by you also have: Bartlett Lake at about 28 km, Clive Lake at 48 km, Hislop Lake at about 58 km, Rabbit Lake at 58 km and Tumi Lake at about 60 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lac la Martre

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for North Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Treat Lac la Martre as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 15°C; the cold one sits at -25°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Winter locks it down, and late May brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late May and late October. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Lac la Martre by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Bartlett Lake, 28 km away. Rules at Lac la Martre are worth checking on the day.