Great Bear Lake

Great Bear Lake is the largest lake entirely inside Canada, about 31,000 km² of cold, clear water on the Arctic Circle. It is ice-covered for most of the year, usually until late June or early July, and its long arms reach out in every direction: Keith Arm by Délı̨nę, the only community on the shore, McVicar and McTavish arms to the east, Dease Arm to the north and Smith Arm to the northwest. There are no roads. Anglers fly in to lodges on the arms or to Délı̨nę, and the lake is the heart of the Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve.

Lake trout are the fishery. The water stays so cold that they grow slowly and live a long time, and Great Bear holds the all-tackle world record lake trout. After the ice goes out they feed in the shallows, where a fly rod and a big streamer work, then move deeper as the surface warms through July and August. Arctic grayling rise in the rivers that feed the lake and at their mouths, and northern pike live in the warmer bays. The season is short, from early July to late August or early September. This page shows the Great Bear River's flow at the lake outlet, which changes little, and the weather at Délı̨nę. On a lake this big, wind matters most: storms come up fast, so watch the forecast.

The whole lake and its tributary mouths are a Special Management Area. Every angler, of any age, needs a Sport Fishing Licence and a Great Bear Lake Special Management Area validation. You may keep 1 lake trout a day, and only 1 may leave the area on a trip. Only barbless hooks are allowed in the NWT. The lake is in the Sahtú Settlement Area, and the Délı̨nę Renewable Resources Council can answer questions about fishing here.