Fishing at Pistol Lake, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Set in North Slave Region, Pistol Lake is a Northwest Territories water. The setting is dry open country on every side. At about 36 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 4.8 km keeps the choices simple. It is one of the smaller waters we list in North Slave Region. Behchokǫ̀ sits 174 km from the bank. Yellowknife is 211 km away, with Kugluktuk at 390 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Pistol Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Pistol Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 14°C and January at -30°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late May. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about mid October. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Pistol Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Float Lake is 5.6 km distant. Nothing on Pistol Lake should be assumed from this page alone.