Fishing in Ukkusiksalik National Park

Sport and recreational fishing is prohibited in Ukkusiksalik National Park waters.

Ukkusiksalik sits along the shores of Wager Bay in Nunavut, roughly 140 kilometres from Repulse Bay (now Naujaat), protecting rolling tundra, coastal mudflats, and a coastline where polar bears move in high density.

Four fish species have been documented in the park's waters — Arctic char, lake trout, lumpfish, and a handful of others — but the regulations are unambiguous: no sport or recreational fishing is permitted here.

That prohibition shapes everything about a visit. Carrying tackle within 100 metres of any park water is itself a violation unless you are actively permitted to fish those waters, which under current rules you are not.

Anyone entering the park, including all marine areas, requires authorization from Parks Canada through a visitor use permit, business licence, or research permit. A licensed guide is also required due to the polar bear density around Wager Bay.

If you are planning a fishing trip to this part of Nunavut, the park boundary is the line. Waters outside Ukkusiksalik — including rivers and lakes in the broader Keewatin region — operate under different rules.

Contact the park office in Naujaat at 1-867-462-4500 well before your trip; they can clarify current regulations and point you toward what is and isn't accessible to anglers in the surrounding area.