Fishing at Three Wives Lake, Northwest Territories, Northwest Territories

• Overview

  Northwest Territories holds Three Wives Lake, in Northwest Territories. Spruce and muskeg runs right down to the water. It covers about 20.54 sq km, which means weather matters as much as tactics. With about 100 km of shoreline, local advice saves a lot of walking. Some 468 km away sits Arviat, the nearest settlement. Baker Lake follows at 494 km, then Fort Smith at 513 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Three Wives Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Take Three Wives Lake a stretch at a time. Where reeds break, there is usually a route in for fish.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about -28°C in January to roughly 14°C in July. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly mid October. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Three Wives Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Ridgers Lake, 21 km away. Where Three Wives Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.