Great Bear Lake

mooseslayer · #1 08-09-2019, 09:47 PM

Hey all,

We are in the planning phase for a trip up to Plummers Lodge on Great Bear Lake next year. Been doing a lot of reading and watching videos to try and pick the best time to go as well as which lodge to go to.

If anyone has any info, big or small, that they’d like to share with us it would be greatly appreciated! Thx

MS

35 whelen · #2 08-10-2019, 07:31 AM

Worked up there in the 90s ,best bet talk to them and tell them what your looking for camp ,fishing, tree river , still have a few guides I know at main lodge .

RavYak · #3 08-10-2019, 07:39 AM

If after big lakers then Trophy lodge early season.

trophybook · #4 08-10-2019, 07:59 AM

End of may to early June the bays just start to open around may 20th. Love it up there

bubba300 · #5 08-10-2019, 12:26 PM

We went up in jet boat ,3 rd week of july some years ago and the lake hadn't opened up yet,fished about 8 miles on the west end.Went up 2 years later in the first week of aug and it was open.I would say the first week of aug and you should be fine.Not sure about east end thow.

Talking moose · #6 08-10-2019, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trophybook

End of may to early June the bays just start to open around may 20th. Love it up there

You sure you weren’t up there on an exceptionally early spring?

schleprock · #7 08-10-2019, 03:00 PM

The old arctic circle lodge was located in the north eastern corner of the lake and staff was usually flown in between the 3rd and 4th week in June to get the lodge ready for the upcoming season. Sometimes all of the guides were told to run the boats (around two dozen) back and forth alongside the iced in channel to help break up the ice so that we could get access to the bays.

RavYak · #8 08-10-2019, 06:02 PM

Yeah it is definitely not open in May or even early June. It is only a 2 month season up there, July and August and Trophy lodge only open for July according to website.

schleprock · #9 08-11-2019, 10:11 PM

I looked at the some of the information on plummer's arctic lodges website; the realistic big fish expectations as well as the when's the best time to go and thought that the information was bang on. Early in the season you will enjoy 24 hours of daylight and towards the end, you can expect later starts due to the early morning fog. If I remember correctly, by the end of August, it starts getting dark around seven in the evening. I would recommend the period from the middle of July to middle of August to take your father on a trip based on the weather alone. You can expect some fantastic weather but should be prepared for some nasty stuff as well. During this period, the fish will be spread out a bit more, but if a storm blows in, you will be able to find fish in any the sheltered areas and still have a enjoyable day. The pristine quality of the clear, ice cold water and the ability to see up 100 feet straight down in some areas will blow you away too. Once you start catching fish, you will be impressed how healthy, colorful and firm they are and it doesn't matter how they are cooked, they are absolutely frickin' delicious too. Do not pass up on the shore lunches. The bugs aren't a problem on the water but can be if you are on shore or around vegetation and trees. Which ever lodge you choose will have a good variety of the recommended tackle but bring along some smaller stuff and some of the very realistic plastic baits in case you want to try some vertical jigging too.

bubba300 · #10 08-13-2019, 07:40 AM

Lots of good size grayling to,I caught a few over 4 lbs.

-JR- · #11 08-13-2019, 05:50 PM

Do a lot of people go up their with their own boats ?
Is there a good camp grounds with a boat launch ?
If so I might be doing a trip up there next year.

RavYak · #12 08-13-2019, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -JR-

Do a lot of people go up their with their own boats ?
Is there a good camp grounds with a boat launch ?
If so I might be doing a trip up there next year.

Considering it is ice road or fly in access only I would say no lol

Mumbles · #13 08-13-2019, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -JR-

Do a lot of people go up their with their own boats ?
Is there a good camp grounds with a boat launch ?
If so I might be doing a trip up there next year.

Oh my...lmfao I can’t believe I just read that.

mooseslayer · #14 08-15-2019, 06:35 PM

Thanks for all the input folks! Every detail matters when planning something like this.

We just booked a week in July at Trophy Lodge on Great Bear......so pumped!!!

Just for the record, you can jet boat into Great Bear. It’s a long journey but one of my friends has done it in the past. Said it was an awesome trip.

Tight lines!

35 whelen · #15 08-15-2019, 07:21 PM

Nice enjoy the trip should be fantastic

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Zip-in-Z · #16 08-15-2019, 09:16 PM

Mooseslayer .... it will be a trip of a life time.

Made 2 trips to Trophy Lodge, they had/have a Beaver & pilot stationed at Trophy who took clients to Coppermine or Tree River for Arctic Char. We booked a 1 day charter to MacIntosh Bay that's were the monster lakers come in to feed in the shallow sandy bays at ice out in early July, you won't regret it.

My buddy & I paid our guide some O/T cash on a clear warm evening and he took us out at midnight to fish a shallow bay & rock reef with a fast drop off and we got to watch the midnight sun go around us in circles.

We also brought two small planer boards that had quick release clip, they were fun working the shallow bays in 6-8 fow, one monster laker grabbed the back of the planer board and took it under water for at least a minute before it popped up. We got him on the flutter spoon he weighed in at close to 40 lbs.

Bring 1 ultra light & bunch of Mepp's spinners for monster Holly Grail's and 2 rods with large capacity reals spooled up with 30+ lb dacron and tie on a 5-6 ft 25+ lb floro leader with HD locking snaps. Buy or borrow a 2 piece Mustang flotation suit, it can be +30C one day and 5C with a brutal north wind the next, dress in layers, very important.

A few other items worth packing, good bug repellent, insulated rubber boots, gloves, thermos, 40 oz favorite beverage and some US or CDN cash for tips for the ladies who clean your room & your guide. You can use your CC for beer, pop or anything you buy at their convenience store in the lodge, including a Trophy Lodge guide shirt or touque.

Good info here ....

https://www.plummerslodges.com/when-...eat-bear-lake/

Wish you all the best.

David

My best Trophy Lodge souvenir.

Mine was just over 50 from MacIntosh

Robin .... was our guide at Trophy this one's over 60.

You should stock up on some T60's, they also sold them at Trophy.

Pic of the guides tackle box.

Big fish eat big bait fish, size matters.

Zuludog · #17 08-16-2019, 11:03 AM

Zip - very cool pictures of that Laker eating the Grayling.

bubba300 · #18 08-17-2019, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by -JR-

Do a lot of people go up their with their own boats ?
Is there a good camp grounds with a boat launch ?
If so I might be doing a trip up there next year.

We went in jet boat from Fort Simpson,it took about 1 3/4 of a day to get to lake.Got gas in Tulita & Deline.Not alot of places to camp,shoreline is shallow so its tuff to get boat in close,had to wade in with hip waders.Nice spot at Manitou Island to camp and there was a dock at west end where river flows out but it was in ruff shape last time I was there(2005).I caught a ton of grayling off the dock.