Coal Mine Lake Fishing in Carmacks, Yukon

• Overview

  Carmacks in Yukon is where Coal Mine Lake sits. It stands 575 metres above sea level. Roughly 50 hectares: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 6.0 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Our Carmacks list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest place of any size is Whitehorse, 166 km away. It is 726 km to Anchorage, the nearest city. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Coal Mine Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Carmacks include Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling, northern pike and lake whitefish. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Coal Mine Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 15°C and January at -25°C. The freeze holds for the better part of the year. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly late October. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Coal Mine Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Frenchman Lake at 22 km is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Coal Mine Lake if anything is unclear.