Fishing at Little Doctor Lake, Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Out in Dehcho Region, Northwest Territories, sits Little Doctor Lake. Around the bank it is taiga. At roughly 19.74 sq km it ranks among the larger waters in the region. The outline measures near 33 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Start from Fort Simpson, 100 km down the road. Fort Nelson is 344 km away, with Watson Lake at 356 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Little Doctor Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Dehcho Region include longnose sucker, Arctic grayling and bull trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Anyone new to Little Doctor Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -26°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid May. In an average year the thaw lands around mid May and the freeze near late October. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Little Doctor Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Cli Lake, 11 km away, makes the obvious fallback. For Little Doctor Lake in particular, ask before you travel.