Radford Lake, Northwest Territories: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Radford Lake in South Slave Region, Northwest Territories. What surrounds it is open dry country. Surface area runs to some 37.03 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The outline measures near 131 km, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Yellowknife lies 458 km from the water. Further out sit Baker Lake (478 km) and Fort Smith (503 km). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Radford Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across South Slave Region: Arctic grayling, lake trout and Arctic charr. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Radford Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 13°C; by January the average is down near -30°C. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near mid October. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan around that when you fish Radford Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Island Lake at 6.9 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Radford Lake should be assumed from this page alone.