Lake Melville, Newfoundland and Labrador: ice fishing

Lake Melville is a lake in Newfoundland and Labrador, about 2,840 km² in size, near Happy Valley-Goose Bay / North West River, about 597 km NE of Sept-Îles (straight-line distance). Sport fish recorded here: Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Whitefish and Smelt.

What fish are in Lake Melville?

Sport fish recorded in Lake Melville: Brook Trout, Lake Trout, Whitefish, Smelt.

Guides: Brook Trout ice fishing guide · Lake Trout ice fishing guide

Is the ice safe on Lake Melville?

Nobody has reported ice thickness on Lake Melville yet this season. Do not assume the ice is safe: drill and measure it yourself. Ice thickness guidance.

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Melville?

Regulation zone: Newfoundland and Labrador — Lake Melville (Labrador); brackish and tidal at the Hamilton Inlet end — salmon and guide rules for Labrador waters in the Anglers' Guide also apply nearby

Season: Trout and char in inland Newfoundland and Labrador waters are closed Jan 1 to Jan 31 under the table in the Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery Regulations — winter fishing resumes outside close times and any water-specific closures. Salmon waters have their own summer seasons and are not an ice fishery; check the DFO Anglers' Guide for this water.

Limits: From the Regulations table: speckled / brown / rainbow trout and ouananiche (landlocked salmon) share a daily quota of 12 fish combined or 2.25 kg plus one fish, whichever is reached first, possession 24 fish or 4.5 kg plus one, fish 60 cm or less. Arctic char and other species have their own entries — confirm the current Anglers' Guide table for this lake.

Licence: NL inland fishing licence required for trout/char waters; salmon requires a separate salmon licence and tags and is fly-only on scheduled rivers. Non-resident guide requirements apply on scheduled salmon waters and in Labrador north of 52N — see the Anglers' Guide.

Official regulations (Newfoundland and Labrador Fishery Regulations / DFO Anglers' Guide). Always confirm against the current official guide before you fish. This summary may be out of date or incomplete: you are responsible for reading and following the current regulations, and Ice Fish Canada is not responsible for any violation or illegal harvest (poaching) that results from relying on it.

Catches and lures

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Updated 2026-11-06. Lake names and locations: Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (Natural Resources Canada). Lake sizes: HydroLAKES (Messager et al. 2016, CC BY 4.0). Nearest towns: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). About these data.