Fish Lake, Yukon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Fish Lake in the Whitehorse part of Yukon. The surface lies 1,116 metres up. Surface area runs to some 13.90 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. Around 30 km of margin, so directions matter more than a general plan. Few waters listed in Whitehorse are bigger. Whitehorse at 16 km is the nearest place to stop. Anchorage sits 794 km out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Whitehorse: Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling and round whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Fish Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 11°C and January about -18°C. Little of the calendar is open water, so timing counts for everything. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice usually gives way near mid May, and forms again about late October. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. On Fish Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Franklin Lake sits 10 km off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Fish Lake as something to verify.