Sarah Lake in North Slave Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. Elevation runs to 241 metres. This is big water, about 50.84 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. Its shape is complex, and the arms fish like separate waters. On our North Slave Region list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Behchokǫ̀, is 119 km away. Then Yellowknife, 201 km, and Fort Simpson, 299 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Sarah Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for North Slave Region list Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Sarah Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 16°C for July and -27°C for January. Open water arrives late and leaves early, which concentrates the fishing. Look for the thaw near late May; the fishing lifts straight after. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly late October. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Sarah Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Mazenod Lake at 9.9 km is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Sarah Lake should be assumed from this page alone.