Fishing at Range Lake, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Out in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories, sits Range Lake. It sits at 255 metres above sea level. At about 22 hectares, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 3.1 km or so, easy to work in an afternoon. On size it sits at the modest end of our North Slave Region list. Head to Yellowknife, 2.6 km away, for anything you forgot. Behchokǫ̀ follows at 92 km, then Hay River at 196 km. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Range Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for North Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. The county list is broader than any single water. Fish Range Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -27°C and July at about 16°C, the water has a wide range to work through. Ice holds for a long stretch, so the open weeks matter more here than further south. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around late October. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Anyone fishing Range Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A car park lies 390 m away, so the walk in is short. There is camping recorded roughly 890 m off. Mapping shows a picnic spot within 660 m. Toilets show in mapping about 550 m away. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Frame Lake, 1.6 km away. Check the position on Range Lake before loading the car.