The Numbers Don't Lie

Over the 40 plus years we have been fishing Great Bear Lake, together with a number of friends who have fished with us from time to time, we have literally caught thousands of Lake Trout, and in addition, built up a solid resume when it comes to trophy size trout – and by “trophy size,” I mean those that tipped the scales at 20 pounds or better.

These numbers were complied from my personal journals together with records supplied by Arthur Ross who, if you happen to know Art, records everything, and NEVER throws anything away.

While some years were certainly been better than others when it came to numbers of trophy fish, we have never had a year without recording at least several fish in the “hog log.”

It’s also worth noting, that with few exceptions, all of these fish were released.

So without further adieu or fanfare, I will let the numbers speak for themselves.

28 – 20 – 23 – 25 – 20 – 21 – 20 – 22 – 22 – 20 – 20 – 28 – 38 – 22 – 20 – 20.5 – 24 – 21 –52– 25 – 44 – 30 – 20 22 -20 – 20 – 21 – 29 – 23 - 22 - 30 – 21 – 20 – 22 – 22 – 24.5 - 25 – 20 – 25 – 28 – 30 – 34 – 36 – 42 – 20 – 40- 34 – 20 – 22 – 23 – 26 – 28 – 28 – 40 – 41 – 49 – 51 – 20 – 20 - 21 – 24 – 27 – 34 – 38 – 20 – 24 – 32 – 32 – 36 – 42 – 20 – 21 - 23 – 25 – 30 – 66.5* – 44 – 27 – 23 – 25 – 35 – 35 – 36 – 40 - 40 – 40 – 52 – 57 – 21 – 33 – 40 – 44 42 – 48 – 45 – 42 – 40 – 49 – 49 – 53 – 48 - 46 – 46 – 45 – 42 – 30 – 30 – 25 – 32 – 24 – 31 – 26 – 22 – 20 – 21 – 23 – 24 – 28 - 40 – 46 – 51 – 22 – 23 – 24 – 28 – 25 – 26 – 40 – 20 – 24 – 26 – 30 – 25 – 36 – 21 – 41 – 22 – 23 – 52 – 34 – 50 – 36 – 48 – 31 – 32 – 28 – 55** - 32.5 – 42 5 – 43 – 40 – 30 - 29 – 41 – 36 – 41 – 24 – 38 - 28 – 24 – 26 – 23 – 28 – 25 – 32 – 20 – 24 – 25 – 28 – 30 – 36 – 41 – 44 – 28 – 31 – 22 - 23 – 46 – 51 – 31 – 28 – 28 – 37 – 30 – 20 – 42 – 21 – 26 – 39 – 27 – 25 – 31 – 27 – 36 – 30 – 30 – 39 – 38 – 24 – 22 – 30 – 36 – 28 – 20 – 24 – 45 - 36 – 42 – 44 – 51 – 28 – 40 – 37 – 25 – 22 –22 – 21 – 28 – 33 - 20 – 39 – 40 – 50 – 52 – 26 – 28 – 31- 34 – 41 – 30 – 50 – 20 – 20 – 25 – 22 – 33 – 51 – 33 – 22 - 27 – 39 – 36 – 20 – 22 – 22 – 44 – 47 – 28 – 21 – 28 – 26 –30 – 22 – 38 – 39 – 20 – 28 – 20 – 25 – 27 – 38 – 31 – 33 – 42 – 46 – 27 - 20.5 – 48 – 22 – 22 – 26 - 21 – 20 – 26 – 31 - 32 – 37 – 20 – 20 – 23 – 24.5 – 21 – 21.5 – 42 – 36 – 27 –27 – 26 – 28 – 22 – 23 – 26.5 – 37 – 31 – 29 – 20 – 29 – 41 - 40 – 26 – 25 – 20 – 21 – 23 – 24.5 – 24 – 23 – 20 – 20 – 32 - 24 – 21 – 28 – 30 – 31 – 53 – 21- 33 - 27 – 43 – 22 – 31 – 40 – 41 - 27 – 26 – 26 – 38 – 20 – 28 – 21 – 20 – 35 – 30 – 29.5 - 39 – 27 – 26 - 20 – 23 – 25 – 31 - 33 – 37 – 22 – 40 – 25 – 25 – 26.5 – 22.5 - 44 – 41 – 38 - 27 – 27 – 20 – 20 – 51 - 32 – 28 – 28 – 22 – 30 – 32 – 26 – 20 34 – 21 – 29 –32 – 22 – 30 – 31 – 27 – 20 – 28- 28 - 20 - 30 - 37 - 31 - 50  - 21 - 42 - - 21 – 41 – 33 - 27 - 27 – 20 20 – 20 - 21 – 21 – 30 – 25 – 22 – 20 – 34 30 – 21 – 22 – 26 – 22 – 30 – 27 – 22 – 20 – 27 – 30 – 21 – 20 – 33.5 – 36 - 25 – 24 – 33 – 26 – 41 – 38 – 21 – 20 - 27 – 37 – 22.5 – 24 - 22 – 34 – 28 – 29.5 – 40 – 31 – 25 – 25 – 39 – 44 30 – 20 - 28 – 23 – 36 – 22 – 20 – 30.5 – 28 – 29.5 - 36 – 22 – 24 – 33 – 26 – 27 - 20 - 20 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 22 - 22 - 22 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 30 - 31 - 34 - 36 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 38 - 42 - 44 - 45 - 50 - 20 - 21 - 21- 21- 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 31 - 31 - 34 - 37 - 39 - 44 - 47 - 54 - 20 - 21 - 21 - 25 - 25 - 26 - 29 - 29 - 30 - 30 - 33 - 41 - 42 - 20 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 25 - 27 - 30 - 31 - 40 - 20 - 20 - 20 - 23.5 - 25 - 26.5 - 32 - 35 - 20 - 22 - 22 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 20 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 26 - 35 - 22 - 28 - 22 - 30 - 41 - 30 - 36 -28 - 30 - 22 -25 - 23 - 20 - 35 - 25 - 22 - 30 - 22 - 70 - 28 - 20 - 20 - 22 - 20 - 21 -25 - 20 - 22 - 20 - 24 - 24 - 20 - 24 - 25 - 20 - 20 - 24 - 22 - 23 - 22 - 20 - 22 - 20 - 43 - 48 - 40 - 32 - 25 - 22 - 22 - 22 - 20 - 22 - 46 - 28 - 26 - 23 - 22 - 25 - 24 - 21 - 20 - 20 - 20 - 23 - 25 - 25 - 28 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 20 - 20 - 22- 20 - 51 - 30 - 24 - 23 - 27 - 21 - 40 - 29 - 28 - 23 - 35 - 31 - 28 - 28 - 23 - 21 - 21- 22 - 25 - 26 - 34 - 21 - 23 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 25 - 28 - 30 - 21 - 23 - 24 - 30 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 23 - 34 - 22 - 23 - 31 - 21 - 24 - 22 - 23 - 25 - 32 - 23 - 22 - 22 - 35 - 32 - 21.5 - 27 - 20 - 25 - 20 - 20 - 21 - 31 - 22 - 22 - 20 - 20 - 21 - 21 - 21 - 22 23 - 23 - 24 - 24 - 26 - 28 - 29.5 - 31 - 31 - 34 - 36 - 39 - 26 – 38 – 21 -24 – 25 – 26 – 27 – 26 – 22 – 21 – 22 – 25 23 – 22 – 21 – 24 – 27 – 21 - 29 – 45 - 62...

Total – 727 and counting. (includes 2024 totals) *Please note that we did not fish in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID.

Based on the foregoing, I think it’s fair to say that when it comes to catching the worlds biggest Lake Trout, Great Bear Lake has no equal.

* Former All Tackle World Record

** Current World Line Class Record