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Dream Waters: Great Bear Lake
Great Bear Lake, which is situated in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is the world’s fourth largest lake – a massive freshwater reservoir with a water table of 31.153km2 and water depths of up to 446m. It is set in a vast wilderness consisting mainly of fir, thickets, moss, bog and swamp. It is a place of mystery and wonder, of beautiful but short summers and devastatingly harsh and long winters. It is a place where the midnight sun provides visitors with spectacularly bright nights saturated in warm ruby reds and yellows. And it is a place, where the Northern Lights will dance across the sky and sprinkle its ambient fluorescent light on the barren woodlands below.
Lake trout are usually found along dropoffs and where structure is found protruding from the bottom.
In terms of wildlife, Great Bear Lake has lots to offer too. It is set in a harsh but surprisingly fertile area with lots of dogged wildlife including muskox, grizzly bears, wolves and caribou, species that have learned how to tackle the harsh winters of the arctic. And in the lake itself, 15 different species of fish swim about including (world-record) lake char, (world-record) grayling, pike and whitefish.
There are three distinct lake char sub-species in Great Bear Lake: silverbacks, red fins and butterfly red fins. Silverbacks are pelagic lake char with a silvery grey gleam and a relatively big head and mouth. They primarily live off of prey fish such as grayling, whitefish, pike and even relatives. As a result of their piscivorous inclinations, they tend to grow big – and they have been known to reach weights up to a 100lbs.
An average sized lake char caught on a big streamer. 40lb+ fish on a fly rod are possible to catch. (And way bigger ones are present).
Redfins display saturated olive-green flanks and bright red fins. They don’t grow as big as the silverbacks – probably not bigger than 30lbs, and they primarily live off of small baitfish, gammarus, caddis and other aquatic insects. In terms of colorations, the butterfly red fins are quite similar to ordinary red fins, but they differ physiologically. They display oversized fins, a notable overbite and plump lips. These fish rarely exceed 15lbs, and they are typically found in relatively shallow water, where they specialize in insect-based bottom feeding.
For the fly fisherman, there is more water to cover in Great Bear Lake than most get to fish in a life time - and only 300 fishermen get to fish it every year.
Every bay, every reef, every island and depth curve can hold fish, and with the right mixture between stamina and luck, you might run into one of the lakes massive 20lb+ lake trout. Heck, lake trout up to 30lb+ have been taken on fly rods in Great Bear Lake, and to this day it remains a completely under-exposed world class fly fishing destination - a very well-kept secret in fly fishing circles.
Plummer’s Arctic Lodges manage the fishing on the lake, which – throughout the years, has produced one record-breaking lake char after the other:
Among them the standing world record of 72lbs. 30-50lb’ers are regularly taken while trolling, and while fly fishing for lake trout requires a lot more work and dedication, the big ones are definitely within reach. And while you’re waiting for the big one, you’ll be comforted to find that there are lots and lots of fish in the 10-15lb range to keep you sharp and concentrated.
The season on Great Bear Lake is fairly compressed because of the inherent nature of the Arctic realm. The ice breaks in late June and winter sets in in early September!
Plummer's has several lodges in the arctic realm - including one on the legendary Tree River.
In total, there are three lodges in operation on Great Bear Lake (Trophy, Great Bear, and Arctic Circle), and they are all run by the Plummer’s staff with different fishing options. For more information, please visit the following link:
www.plummerslodges.com or send an email to: fish@plummerslodges.com
A room with a view? Great Bear Lake lodge offers accommodation for more than 20 fishermen.
Great Bear Lake on a calm morning. The lake is the size of a small ocean and while the weather can sometimes get rough, there are always bays and coves that offer shelter.
Getting to Great Bear Lake requires a floatplane ride from the city of Yellowknife.
