General Information 
Hundreds of miles from civilization, Great Bear is the 4th largest lake in North America and is fished by only 300 lucky anglers each year. The majority of the fishing at Great Bear Lake Lodge takes place within a 1-hour boat run from the lodge. There are many flyouts available to numerous locations on Great Bear Lake due to two (2) onsite otter floatplanes. This allows anglers to hit untouched water for lake trout, fantastic spots for grayling, and some pike. Overnight flyouts to the Tree River Outpost for Arctic char can also be arranged. Flyouts can be set up ahead of time or booked while onsite based on availability. We recommend pre-booking these in advance, especially to the Tree River Outpost.

The primary species found in the Great Bear Lake are lake trout in three different varieties. The ‘grays’ have the potential to get absolutely enormous with fish commonly caught in the 20 – 40-pound range and the potential to see fish 50 – 60 pounds and above. The ‘red fins’ and ‘butterflies’ (a cross between a redfin and a gray) don’t get as large but are commonly seen up to 10 pounds, tend to cruise shallower water, and often will feed on the surface in calm conditions. The vast depths of Great Bear Lake are relatively sterile and most of the fishing focus is on shallow bars or ‘reefs’ and shorelines. Many of the fish tend to hold in water that is 3 – 20 feet deep and in early July after ice-out the gigantic ‘grays’ can be sight fished to in shallow bays! There is some limited water that can be fished around the lodge. Smaller lake trout and grayling do tend to cruise the shoreline each evening and can be seen sipping insects during calm conditions.

All packages can be totally customized to include a night or two at the Tree River Outpost. The Tree River is very popular and highly recommended for all fly anglers fishing while visiting Great Bear Lake Lodge. Again, It is certainly best to set up the Tree River Outpost when you book your trip. The Tree River is in high demand and you may not be able to schedule that fly-out if you wait until you are at the lodge to set it up

Boats and Equipment Required
The fishing on Great Bear Lake is done out of 18′ Custom built Lund boats with 40 HP four-stroke motors. There are two otter floatplanes stationed at Great Bear offering daily fly-outs including overnight trips to the Tree River Outpost. Anglers should bring all fishing gear, terminal tackle, and flies, but the lodge does have some loaner equipment and flies available for purchase.