Boot Lake in Dawson: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Boot Lake belongs to Dawson, Yukon. The water sits 1,189 metres up. It covers about 4 hectares, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Dawson are larger. Dawson City sits 110 km from the bank. Then Tok, 290 km, and Deltana, 357 km. Others close at hand: Pistol Lake within 1.3 km, Outfitter Lake 4.7 km, Spruce Lake within 7.6 km, Lomond Lake 8.7 km and Chapman Lake within 9.4 km. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Dawson names Arctic grayling, Chinook salmon and lake whitefish. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Boot Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 12°C and January near -25°C. This far north the hard season runs and runs. Once it clears, about late May, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up sits around late May on average, with the water closing again about early October. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Boot Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Pistol Lake is 1.3 km off. Nothing here settles the position at Boot Lake for certain.