Sam McRae Lake in Sahtu Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Sam McRae Lake in the Sahtu Region part of Northwest Territories. The bank is 127 metres above sea level. You have roughly 37 km of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Northwest Territories listings. Start from Norman Wells, 74 km down the road. Inuvik follows at 391 km, then Fort Simpson at 534 km. No boundary runs near, so the local rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Sam McRae Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Sahtu Region names longnose sucker, rainbow smelt and deepwater sculpin. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Sam McRae Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 16°C and January about -27°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late May. Ice usually gives way near late May, and forms again about mid October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Sam McRae Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. A light spinning outfit with a small box of lures and some bait covers most of what swims here. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Turton Lake is 17 km off. For Sam McRae Lake in particular, ask before you travel.