GSL NWT

Another return to Great Slave Lake Northwest Territories. Every trip to this lake has been exceptional in its own way, and I have always felt a sense of being fortunate on the lake.

We had surprisingly good weather this year. We expected to have some windy days and cooler, possibly wet weather. Instead temperatures were 15 degrees above normal on average, with no wind. This of course made traveling across the lake easy on all days, the downside side is the lake is warmer than anyone has seen.

The warm water made the lake trout hold in 50’ or so of water, this slowed the catching on the fly significantly from what we have become accustomed to.

A few days before our departure our guide asked me what my expectations were. My answer was that I had none, I was going to enjoy the whole experience.

The anticipation and reminder of just how big a body of water this is always builds on the flight from Yellowknife to the lodge.
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Good people and memories make this feel like coming home
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No trout pictures this year, I have been totally spoiled…fish were caught, they fight incredibly hard and catching 6-10 lb fish is always a good time.

The scenery always inspires
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Shore lunches
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Our guide is a friend, he goes above and beyond for us
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His boots and pants on the deck of the boat. This is after he had another guide help him drag the boat up a short river to access another lake so my fishing partner and I could fish for pike.

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We saw musk ox on 4 out of 7 days, Northern Lights 3 nights in a row to end another great trip.
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I am a lucky man
 
Beast of a Pike!
She was really thick, a beautiful fish.

I really am there for lake trout, such a rare opportunity to catch them on the fly. It is mostly trolling, but when everything lines up I have sight fished to them on reefs. I have seen them caught on poppers by my friend, seen them crashing the surface for baitfish under a gull party, and the possibility of a big fish is always there.
 
This is one of my favorite annual reports to look at, and I do revisit them every now and then; thank you, @SculpinSwinger . I am intrigued by this piece of the world and hope to make the trip up there one day. When I do, I suspect I'll be affected the way I was when I spent a week fishing off the Alaska Peninsula on rivers draining to the Bering Sea: after catching a lot of really nice fish, I was distracted by the sights, sounds and smells of the tundra and the coast and the meeting of the two.

What are the lake temperatures? I am sure there is a range, like the weedy shallows will be warmer in the afternoon than the main lake in the morning, etc. Do you swim? It looks like magical swimming. But probably cold. I'd probably have to jump in and get out immediately. Would be a good place for an outdoor hot tub maybe. :unsure:
 
This is one of my favorite annual reports to look at, and I do revisit them every now and then; thank you, @SculpinSwinger . I am intrigued by this piece of the world and hope to make the trip up there one day. When I do, I suspect I'll be affected the way I was when I spent a week fishing off the Alaska Peninsula on rivers draining to the Bering Sea: after catching a lot of really nice fish, I was distracted by the sights, sounds and smells of the tundra and the coast and the meeting of the two.

What are the lake temperatures? I am sure there is a range, like the weedy shallows will be warmer in the afternoon than the main lake in the morning, etc. Do you swim? It looks like magical swimming. But probably cold. I'd probably have to jump in and get out immediately. Would be a good place for an outdoor hot tub maybe. :unsure:
This year we saw a water temp high of 65 on one afternoon, usually the lake is mid/low 50’s. We saw the same 58 degree temperatures in the pike bays when we found 58 degree water in the main lake! The night before we departed the wind picked up and the fish returned to shallower waters…next year!
Night time low of 53 was common, highest temperature was over 75! With most days around 70. Yesterday’s high was 39! Glad to see it returning to “normal”

Our best fishing was on a morning we found 52-55 degree water. We did still find active fish in 60-65 degree water, even saw trout crash baitfish in those temperatures.
 
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