McIntosh Lake in North Slave Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find McIntosh Lake in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. Beyond the shoreline you have dry open country. At 3.88 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. Some 18 km of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It sits higher than most water we list in Northwest Territories. The closest town, Kugluktuk, is 229 km away. Further out sit Behchokǫ̀ (334 km) and Yellowknife (369 km). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on McIntosh Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for North Slave Region list Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish McIntosh Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between -30°C in January and 12°C in July. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. Expect the water usable from around early June until roughly early October. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Plan any trip to McIntosh Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Calder Lake at 19 km is the sensible second choice. For McIntosh Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.