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Home Story Five reasons why fishing in the South Slave is off the hook
A Northern pike, caught in the South Slave region of Canada's Northwest Territories

Five reasons why fishing in the South Slave is off the hook

The South Slave region is the gateway to the Northwest Territories, tucked between the 60th Parallel, famous Great Slave Lake and the legendary Barrenlands. This is an angler’s paradise, teeming with the biggest, wildest, purest, hardest-fighting fish in the world.

Getting to the South Slave is easy and it’s best done by road. Drive up through Northern Alberta and head out on a tour with a commercial fisher in Hay River. Grab your fly-rod and hit the Kakisa River, just off Highway 1, for the spring run of Arctic grayling. Cast a line in any lake or river and experience what fishing can truly be like.

The fish in the South Slave region of Canada's Northwest Territories are big

1. Big fish

Forty-pound Pike slithering in the reeds, snapping at whatever moves. Legendary Lake Trout, nearly as old and big as you are, gliding through the shadowy depths. Grayling, feisty and flamboyant, leaping in the river’s spray. The South Slave is home to the most sought-after fish on Earth. Come cast a line and you’ll see.

The fish in the South Slave region of Canada's Northwest Territories are really big

2. ...and more of them

Anywhere else, fishing is a tradeoff – you can go for size, or for quantity. Up here, you don’t have to choose. Angling in the South Slave is remarkable not just for our supersized fish but for the rate at which you’ll catch them. It’s not unusual for an angler to have a 100-fish day. And of course, since we practice catch-and-release, all those fish go back in the water, ready to be caught again.

Lodges are a popular fishing destination in the South Slave region of Canada's Northwest Territories

3. Incredible lodges

There’s Brabant Lodge at the head of the Mackenzie River. There’s Kasba Lake Lodge way out on the edge of Nunavut. And in between there’s a whole bunch of other wilderness resorts, rustic fish-camps, and lakeside fishing cabins. Whatever your taste in lodges, the South Slave has a place for you.

The south slave region of Canada's Northwest Territories is loaded with wild lakes and rivers

4. Wild lakes and rivers

The South Slave is home to Canada’s deepest lake, Great Slave. To Canada’s longest river, the mighty Mackenzie. To tens of thousands of Barrenlands lakes, many of which have likely never seen a fisherman. To pristine brooks, rushing with snowmelt. To reedy marshes, rich with organic life. We’ve got every fishing landscape you can imagine, and just a handful of anglers every year who are lucky enough to experience it all.

Bond over a fish in the south slave region of Canada's Northwest Territories

5. and memories that will last a lifetime

What is it about those days out on the water that draws people together – grandparents and children, old school chums, co-workers, siblings? Maybe it’s the lack of distractions – no cell phones, no deadlines, no worries. Maybe it’s the transcendent experience, battling big fish in a pristine place way up at the top of the globe. Whatever it is, it’s the best way possible to reconnect, with yourself, with the natural world, and with those who truly matter to you.

Fishing Package_2024_Gord_Yellowknife_1

Sport Fishing Package

Yellow Dog Lodge, Inc.

Activities

Fishing Fly Fishing Nature and Wildlife Tours Wilderness Lodges

Packages Include: Accommodations – main lodge rooms Bush Plane charter transportation – return Boat Rentals and Fishing Rods & Reels Fuel and oil for boats All home made meals All home baked snacks Complimentary coffee, tea hot chocolate, juice, water Outdoor hot tub, sauna, screened gazebo, hot showers Paddling equipment: kayaks, canoes, peddle boats, paddle […]...

Starting At

$1,615

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
Nahanni, NWT, Canoe, Nahanni Park_2024_Nahanni River Adventures

Nahanni Canyons from Virginia Falls - 12 Day Rafting Trip

Nahanni River Adventures

Activities

Arctic Char Arctic Grayling Aurora Birding Boat Tours Camping Canoeing and Kayaking Experienced Paddling Fall Aurora Fishing Fly Fishing Hiking Tours Inconnu Lake Trout Nahanni to Dehcho Nature and Wildlife Nature Photography Nature Tours Northern Pike Novice Paddling Paddling Rafting Road Trips Tours White Water

This trip takes you through some of the iconic features for which this historic river is renowned, including Canada's deepest canyons and Nailicho / Virginia Falls - twice the height of Niagara! Our Nahanni River 12-day trip covers the same distance as our seven day trip but allows more time for additional hiking and exploring, as well as savouring the beauty of the Nahanni Valley area because… why rush if you don’t have to?...

$10,595

CAD + 5% GST + $220.48 CAD National Park fees.
View this Package
Yellowknife Sportfishing Adventures_Logo_2024_Yellowknife

Full day Ice Fishing Trip

Yellowknife Sportfishing Adventures

Activities

Burbot Fishing Fishing Day Trips Ice Fishing Lake Trout Northern Pike Tours Whitefish Winter Activities

Join us for a Full day! 8 hours from 8AM-4PM for a private Yellowknife ice fishing experience! You will be the one catching all the fish on an ice fishing rod and having all the fun. We provide you with a licensed fishing guide, heated transportation (in our 6 seater side by side),  cozy tent and […]...

$999

CAD + 5% GST + Per 1-4 People
View this Package
Two people in a boat holding up a huge fish at Blachford Lake Lodge

Summer Fishing Adventure

Blachford Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Canoeing and Kayaking Fishing Housekeeping Lodges Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike Stand up Paddling

Summer Adventure & Relaxation Welcome to your summer getaway, north of 60. Far from the noise and bustle of any city, Blachford Lodge is happy to be your home away from home in the summer months. Bask in the midnight sun (yup, you can read a book outside all night long!), catch a trophy fish, […]...

Starting at

$2,997

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person + $499 Air Charter + Gratuities (10%)

View this Package
Half/Full Day Pike Fishing

Half Day and Full Day Pike Fishing Trip

Trail Blazer Tours

Activities

Fishing Fishing Day Trips Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike Tours

This half day or full day adventure takes us onto Great Slave Lake in search of the great Northern Pike. During the trip there are opportunities to see local birds and wildlife in addition to some local sights. We’ll enjoy a fabulous shore lunch of your freshly caught fish! All fishing gear is provided. Half […]...

Starting at

$250

CAD + 5% GST + Per Person
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Kasba Lake Lodge

Fly Fishing

Kasba Lake Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Arctic Grayling Fishing Fly Fishing Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike

A Fly Fisherman’s Paradise. Kasba Lake Lodge offers fly fishing opportunities for both advanced and novice anglers. The ability to fish all three species of Northern Pike, Lake Trout, and Arctic Grayling on the fly is what really sets us apart. Catching these aggressive predators on the fly is one of life’s great sporting experiences […]...

Starting at

$5,395

USD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
Kasba Lake Lodge

All Inclusive Lodge

Kasba Lake Lodge

Activities

All-Inclusive Lodges Arctic Grayling Fishing Fly Fishing Lake Trout Nature and Wildlife Northern Pike

Place yourself in Canada’s untamed Northwest Territories, on the edge of the barren lands. Over 1500 square miles of untouched wilderness exclusive to Kasba anglers. A fishermen’s paradise whether spin fishing or fly fishing, Kasba fishing is beyond belief! Your dream come true fishing trip includes: air transportation from Winnipeg, private luxury cabins with on […]...

Starting at

$5,395

USD + 5% GST + Per Person
View this Package
Aurora Viewing Cabins

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Trout Rock lodge aerial view in the summer time.

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Hearne Lake Lodge fisherman holding up large long fish caught in Hearne Lake in the Northwest Territories.

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Destination NWT Limited is a tourism operator located in Yellowknife, Canada. DNWT specializes in outdoors adventures, aurora photography, and cultural experiences: Best rated Snowmobile Tour, winter gears included, exciting trail riding Aurora Tour in a Luxurious lakeside Lodge Unique Aurora tour while Ice Fishing indoors Full panoramic moonroof vehicle for Aurora Viewing DNWT’s tours allow […]...

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Yellow Dog Lodge is a comfortable lodge with 3 private cabins for our guests. The lodge is a short (15 minute) floatplane ride from Yellowknife. Located on Duncan and Graham Lakes, the lodge is your hub for adventure. Choose from an additional 5 lakes for guided day trip excursions. Each lake is unique and offers unspoiled first class fishing. We are the only lodge that operates guided trips on each of these remote lakes located in the NWT taiga wilderness. Packaged trips feature superb sport fishing and safe outdoor adventure. The lakes and streams offer the finest Lake Trout, Northern Pike, Walleye and Arctic Grayling in the region. As an added bonus, our guests will enjoy the midnight sun and may even catch the northern lights later in the fall or early spring....

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Land Acknowledgement

Northwest Territories Tourism acknowledges that we are located in Chief Drygeese territory. From time immemorial, it has been the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and more recently, the homeland of the North Slave Métis Alliance. We respect the histories, languages, and cultures of Inuit, First Nations, Metis, and all First Peoples of the NWT and Canada, whose presence and cultures continue to enrich our vibrant communities.