There’s no better place for fly fishing than the Northwest Territories.
Savvy fly fishers flock to the Northwest Territories in the summer months, after the winter melt has swelled the lakes and rivers with crystal clear water, warmed under the constant gaze of the midnight sun. If you haven’t been up here to see why, you’ll quickly feel like you’ve spent your life looking for the Northwest Territories. Step out from your float plane into a private piece of our world, teeming with the largest lake trout, feistiest northern pike, plentiful Arctic grayling, and iconic Arctic char.
All this against the backdrop of Canada’s beautiful Northern landscapes – the Northwest Territories is sure to become a top-tier destination for your Canadian fly fishing trips.
Fish species in the Northwest Territories are as varied as the environments they can be found in, but they all have one thing in common – they make excellent sport for fly fishing. Because the open water season is short, fish are literally jumping out of the water at your fly to sate their appetites. From warm shallows to open lakes, the water in the NWT is remarkably clear which means sight casting is spectacularly easy and a surefire way to land any particular catch you set your sights on.
What also stands out about the fish in the NWT is their size. Fly fishers regularly pull in trophy lake trout measuring up to 35 kg from the profound, mysterious depths of Great Slave lake, the deepest lake in North America, and Great Bear lake, the continent’s fourth largest. Don’t go light on your leaders— these fish are monsters. And be ready to crank that reel.
From Great Slave Lake, you’ll find fierce and spirited northern pike— and they love to strike a fly. Slithering through the weeds in the warm, shallow bays of the lake’s fabulous North Arm, our pike grow to legendary sizes – 18 kg or more. They put up a ferocious fight and make for a darn good shore lunch.
As soon as the ice flushes out in early May, fly fishers are out in the NWT, ready for the famous Arctic grayling run. These fish are glorious to behold, with shimmering, iridescent scales and a sail-like dorsal fin. They’re ravenous, too, snapping at newly hatched bugs— and your well-placed fly.
Arctic char, the North’s iconic fish, are attracted to a brightly coloured fly or by dead-drifting a small bright or natural fly. Brilliant-red Arctic char churn the waters that pour into the Northwest Passage, tip the scales at three kilos or more, and provide fly-fishers with the best polar angling on Earth.
So pack your nymphs, streamers, gnats and flies along for a fly-fishing trip deep in the uncrowded beauty of the NWT. Enjoy fly fishing the way it was intended – free from distractions and hours away from rushing traffic and the din of the city.
Whether you book an stay at an all-inclusive fishing lodge or take a fishing day trip with a fly fishing operator to test the waters, the lakes and rivers of the NWT are teeming with the types of fish that are sure to make your trip unforgettable.