Elbow Lake in Whitehorse: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Whitehorse end of Yukon holds Elbow Lake. The land about it is open dry country. About 6 hectares of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Whitehorse. 48 km away sits Whitehorse, the nearest town. Skagway is 131 km away, with Haines at 156 km. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Elbow Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Whitehorse cover Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling, round whitefish, longnose sucker and least cisco. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Anyone new to Elbow Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 13°C and January near -19°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan any trip to Elbow Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Caribou Lake at 1.5 km is the sensible second choice. Where Elbow Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.