Fishing at Rae Lake, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Rae Lake lies within the bounds of North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. The water sits 201 metres up. The nearest place of any size is Behchokǫ̀, 165 km away. After that come Yellowknife at 241 km and Fort Simpson at 327 km. Close by you have: Taka Lake sits 12 km out, Lac Ste. Croix near enough 16 km, Tuche Lake sits 19 km out, Lac Seguin near enough 24 km and Faber Lake sits 26 km out. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Rae Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for North Slave Region list Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Rae Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 16°C; by January the average is down near -28°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near mid October in autumn. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Expect Rae Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Taka Lake at 12 km is the sensible second choice. Nothing on Rae Lake should be assumed from this page alone.