The lake, in northern Fort Smith region and southeastern Inuvik region, Northwest Territories, Canada, lying astride the Arctic Circle. Irregular in shape and containing many small islands, Great Bear Lake is roughly 200 miles (320 km) long and 25–110 miles (40–175 km) wide and has a maximum depth of 1,356 feet (413 m). The lake empties through the Great Bear River (Sahtúdé) into the Mackenzie River. The only community on the lake is Deline at the southwest end.