Great Bear Lake
Lake Large subarctic lake; Canada's largest wholly inland lake
Far in the Northwest Territories, Great Bear Lake ranks among Canada’s largest lakes with glacial waters and rocky shores. Fly-in lodges and Indigenous communities support fishing, canoeing and northern lights viewing in a remote boreal-arctic landscape.
Great Bear Lake is a large lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada and is the largest lake entirely within Canada. It covers an extensive surface area and is one of the largest lakes in North America.
The lake has a complex shoreline with numerous bays and islands and supports local fishing and seasonal travel routes. It is sparsely settled along its shores with a few small communities and seasonal outposts.
Indigenous peoples have used the lake and surrounding territory for millennia for hunting and fishing; European mapping and exploration intensified in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today it remains a remote, largely undeveloped freshwater body within Canada.
Geographically it lies in the subarctic interior of northern Canada, roughly several hundred kilometres northwest of Yellowknife and surrounded by boreal forest and tundra transition zones.
- Ice cover and winter use: The lake freezes for several months each year and supports seasonal ice roads and winter travel in the region.
How to Get to Great Bear Lake #
Access is typically by chartered or scheduled flights to regional communities (e.g., Deline) and then by boat or floatplane to lodges. Some remote lodges operate year-round with winter ice-road access depending on conditions.
Tips for Visiting Great Bear Lake #
- If kayaking or boating, hire a local outfitter familiar with the lake's wind and channel conditions; free-floating ice hazards can persist into late spring.
- Plan logistics well in advance - fly-in access is common for lodges and camps in more remote parts of the lake.
- Respect Indigenous land and fishing rights when visiting communities along the shoreline.
Best Time to Visit Great Bear Lake #
Summer for boating and fishing; winter for ice travel but expect severe cold.
Weather & Climate near Great Bear Lake #
Great Bear Lake's climate is classified as Subarctic - Subarctic climate with cold summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -28°C to 15°C. Semi-arid with limited rainfall.
January
January is the coldest month with highs of -20°C and lows of -28°C. Light rainfall.
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February
February is freezing with highs of -19°C and lows of -28°C. The driest month with just 10 mm.
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March
March is freezing with highs of -14°C and lows of -24°C. Light rainfall.
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April
April is freezing with highs of -3°C and lows of -14°C. Light rainfall.
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May
May is cold with highs of 5°C and lows of -4°C. Light rainfall.
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June
June is cold with highs of 12°C and lows of 2°C. Light rainfall.
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July
July is cold with highs of 15°C and lows of 5°C. Moderate rainfall (37 mm).
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August
August is cold with highs of 14°C and lows of 5°C. The wettest month with 42 mm of rain.
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September
September is cold with highs of 9°C and lows of 2°C. Moderate rainfall (31 mm).
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October
October is freezing with highs of 0°C and lows of -5°C. Light rainfall.
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November
November is freezing with highs of -9°C and lows of -15°C. Light rainfall.
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December
December is freezing with highs of -16°C and lows of -24°C. Light rainfall.
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