Fishing Rutledge Lake in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Northwest Territories holds Rutledge Lake, in North Slave Region. Beyond the shoreline you have spruce and muskeg. Around 136.68 sq km of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. Bays run back a long way, and the fish move between them with the season. It ranks high for size among our North Slave Region listings. Fort Smith is the closest place, 182 km off. Edmonton is the closest city, 904 km away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Rutledge Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for North Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Rutledge Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 16°C and January at -27°C. Open water is the exception rather than the rule here. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late May. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near late October in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Rutledge Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. 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. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Gagnon Lake at 51 km is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Rutledge Lake.