River Lake near Yellowknife: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  River Lake lies in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. Everything around it is open dry country. Roughly 4.89 sq km of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. Yellowknife sits 22 km from the bank. It is 1007 km to Edmonton, the nearest city. Water in the same corner: Madeline Lake 5.7 km away, Prosperous Lake out at 6 km, Pontoon Lake 7.4 km away, Alexie Lake out at 8.5 km and Prelude Lake 9.2 km away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on River Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across North Slave Region: Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. The county list is broader than any single water. Read River Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 16°C and January reads -27°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. Open water usually runs from late May until about late October. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It holds true on River Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, Madeline Lake is 5.7 km distant. Check the position on River Lake before loading the car.