Fishing Linklater Lake in Northwest Territories, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Linklater Lake falls in in Northwest Territories. The surface lies 345 metres up. At 8.97 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. At about 54 km of edge, most people fish a single area and learn it well. For supplies, Arviat is 447 km out. Baker Lake lies 508 km off, Fort Smith another 532 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Linklater Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. At Linklater Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes. Work the margins before you start casting for distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -28°C in January and 14°C in July. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. Break-up near early June, freeze-up near mid October: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Linklater Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Rochon Lake, 24 km away. Check the position on Linklater Lake before loading the car.