Windy Lake, Northwest Territories: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Windy Lake lies in North Slave Region, Northwest Territories. It lies 450 metres above sea level. The water covers around 8.61 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Around 32 km of margin, so directions matter more than a general plan. It sits higher than most water we list in Northwest Territories. Head to Yellowknife, 353 km away, for anything you forgot. It is 1283 km to Edmonton, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Windy Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in North Slave Region include Arctic grayling, lake trout and slimy sculpin. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. At Windy Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 12°C and January near -29°C. Cold dominates the year and the fishing works around it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid June. The open-water window runs from around mid June to about early October in an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan around that when you fish Windy Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Pellatt Lake, 24 km away. Check the current arrangement for Windy Lake.