Fishing in Tuktut Nogait National Park

Tuktut Nogait sits well above the Arctic Circle in the northeast corner of mainland Northwest Territories, about 40 kilometres east of the small community of Paulatuk.

The park's interior is rolling tundra cut deep by river systems — the Hornaday, Brock, and Roscoe are the main drainages — and the fishing here is built around those rivers and the lakes connected to them. Arctic char and lake trout are the primary species.

Grayling and whitefish are also present. The Hornaday River system is the most significant water in the park: from 1968 to 1986 it supported a commercial Arctic char fishery, and it continues to sustain a subsistence char fishery for Paulatuk residents today.

That history matters for visiting anglers — the Hornaday char population carries real weight for the community, and current restrictions reflect that.

As of the May 2025 superintendent's bulletin, the catch and possession limit for Arctic char in the Hornaday River is zero.

All waters downstream of La Roncière Falls — the 21-metre drop near the end of the river's canyon system — are closed to angling entirely. Seven Islands Lake and Akluk Creek are also closed to angling under the same 2025 restrictions.

Check current bulletins before you go; these special restrictions are issued separately from the base regulations and can change season to season.

The Brock River, which runs through dramatic canyon country in the park's interior, is accessible primarily by floatplane or multi-day packraft and paddle expeditions.

The Hornaday is the more established river route — July is the recommended paddling window, with trips running 145 to 185 kilometres depending on the put-in. Permits work differently here than in the rest of the Northwest Territories.

A Northwest Territories fishing licence is not valid inside the park. You need a National Park Fishing Permit, available from Parks Canada offices in Paulatuk or Inuvik.

Barbless single hooks only; no natural bait or chemical attractants within 100 metres of park waters; no lead tackle under 50 grams; no fishing between two hours after sunset and one hour before sunrise.

Consult Parks Canada directly for current limits and any updated closures before your trip. Access is by floatplane from Paulatuk. Visitor numbers here are measured in the dozens per year, sometimes fewer.

The fishing is real, the regulations are strict for good reason, and the logistics demand serious planning — but that's the nature of water this far north.