Likely Lake Fishing Guide, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Likely Lake lies in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. It stands 242 metres above sea level. The water covers some 33 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. There is roughly 6.6 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. On size it sits at the modest end of our North Slave Region list. For supplies, Yellowknife is 21 km out. Beyond it, Behchokǫ̀ at 90 km and Hay River at 218 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Likely Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. 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 Likely Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 16°C in July and bottoms out near -27°C in January. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Once it clears, about late May, the fishing comes on quickly. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about late October. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Likely Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Banting Lake, 1.4 km away. Nothing on Likely Lake should be assumed from this page alone.