Bonnet Plume Lake in Mayo: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Bonnet Plume Lake is one of the Mayo listings for Yukon. Country round the bank runs to northern bush. About 4.04 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The perimeter runs near 16 km, so plan the walk before you start. You are 267 km from Norman Wells. Dawson City is 362 km and Whitehorse 430 km. Close by you also have: Misty Lake at about 35 km, Einarson Lake about 47 km and Ortell Lake at about 52 km. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bonnet Plume Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Mayo include Chinook salmon, mountain whitefish and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Bonnet Plume Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about -24°C and July at about 10°C, the water has a wide range to work through. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early June. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about early October. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Bonnet Plume Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Salmon and sea-run fish answer to spoons and spinners where lure fishing is allowed; check the method rules first. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. For a change of water, Misty Lake is 35 km distant. Treat access at Bonnet Plume Lake as something to verify.