Adventure Overview:

This is a once in a lifetime chance to catch world record, catch and release, Lake Trout, Grayling, and Arctic Char! Only a limited number of people are allowed to fish here each year and we have just a few spots available for next year!

In 1938 while in Yellowknife on business, Warren Plummer and his father kept hearing stories from the local people about a fabulous fishing area called “Taltheilei Narrows” (place of open water). Warren and his dad traveled by canoe 150 miles with a 4 hp engine and discovered the legends were true. Taltheilei Narrows soon became the location for our Great Slave Lake Lodge.

Great Slave Lake is approximately 300 miles long and between 50-150 miles wide. It is located 200 miles north of the 60th parallel and is home to giant lake trout, northern pike and arctic grayling. At the lodge, the lake narrows to about 150 yards wide. This arrowing produces a current that attracts large trout feeding on baitfish. The fishing is especially good in the morning and evening.

Great Slave Lake Lodge consists of a main building that boasts a cozy dining room and lounge and separate cabin units along the shoreline. Each unit is self-contained with a 3-piece bath, electric heat and 24-hour electricity. The main lodge offers amazing views of the lake and includes a fully stocked bar.

The abundant wildlife, the stunning 500ft cliffs and the closeness of the fishing will impress guests who visit our Great Slave Lake Lodge. Make sure you have your camera ready at all times, as wildlife viewing is common!

THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

General Information

The Northwest Territories is a land of contrasts. It is 1.17 million square kilometres of mountains, forests and tundra threaded by wild, clean rivers feeding thousands of pristine lakes. Only 40,000 people live amid this rugged natural beauty.

Nature is in balance here. You can view rare wildlife species, from white wolves to white whales, and see herds of bison, prowling bears, moose, and caribou by the thousands. This is the land where the world’s best northern lights dance during the dark winter months and where the sun never sets during the summer.

Starkly beautiful, powerful and immense, our northern world is still wild and pristine. Nature rules here, in a diversity of landscapes ranging from towering mountains to rolling tundra, and from seacoast to boggy lowlands and boreal forests.

The Northwest Territories’ treasures include several of Canada’s greatest rivers, biggest lakes and beautiful National Parks. Rare wildlife roams free, and millions of birds migrate through the Mackenzie Valley. Aboriginal tradition thrives in communities built on a rich fur-trade, exploration and mining heritage. Small and widely scattered, they’re linked by roads, rivers or bush airlines that converge on the bustling Capital, Yellowknife.

In the Northwest Territories, Aboriginal tradition thrives in ways both old and new. Half of the people are Dene, Meìtis or Inuvialuit who control their own regional affairs and participate fully in business, industry and the Territorial government. Many Dene, Inuit, Meìtis and Inuvialuit live close to the land and are willing to share their traditions and knowledge of the land with visitors.

Wildlife

Several herds of caribou can be found anywhere between Baffin Island, Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie Delta. As they move, the land itself seems to move. The caribou walk fast normally and occasionally break into a trot, grazing here and there and then marching on.

The more solitary moose move effortlessly and silently through the trees, taiga and tundra. They stand for hours thigh deep in tundra ponds, massive beasts dipping low as they feed on sedges and reeds from the water.

The shaggy herds of musk oxen shuffle slowly along, grazing on the willows and lichens of the windswept tundra. Although musk oxen appear unkempt, they are perfectly suited to their life in the most severe climate on earth. The under-fur f musk oxen (“qiviut”) is known to be the warmest natural fiber yet discovered.

The wood bison of the north roam freely through the northern forests to the shores of Great Slave Lake Lodge. In the western part of the Northwest Territories, the black bear is likely to be seen seeking the spawning pike at the edges of the marshes.

 FISHING IN THE NORTH – GENERAL

Lake Trout

The most effective way to catch large lake trout is to troll. Trolling allows you to cover a large area with a large enough lure to entice the big trout. Early in the season (first three weeks of July) the lake trout will be in 6-15 feet of water trying to warm up and start feeding. As the summer progresses and the water warms, they will begin going slightly deeper. The deepest we fish for them is approximately 30 feet, late in August. It is widely thought that lake trout feed most aggressively in water between 48 and 52 degrees. If you can find that temperature zone, and there is a large lake trout in it, chances are he will be feeding.

You can always catch smaller lake trout (2-8lbs) by casting along rocky shorelines. If you enjoy casting, wait for a calm day and you will find trout in the 5-12lb range breaking the surface of the water feeding on insects. Cast a white jig in their midst and you will be in for some fun.

Arctic Grayling

Grayling can be found in the rivers draining into the lake, or along rocky mainland shorelines on the lake itself. Generally speaking, the largest grayling are caught in the lake while the river fishing produces the best numbers. The grayling fishing is consistent throughout the season and is usually accomplished by casting small spinners.

Northern Pike

Pike are ferocious fish known for being a fierce predator and for their quick striking ability. They have many large, sharp teeth and require care when handling.

Early in the season most pike are caught by casing spoons or spinners in the shallow water where weeds are starting to grow. Sometimes huge pike will sit and sun themselves in only a 6 foot or two of water.

This can provide some great action when they strike, as they usually strike hard. As the season moves on some pike move out to deeper water and weed beds or rocky points, while some smaller ones remain in the shallows. Casting a potential area allows for great coverage and lets you get your lure into those spots you wouldn’t hit by trolling.

For more details on pricing, contact Maclean Adventures by emailing us at  hawley@macleanadventures.com.