Fishing at Gillespie Lake, Mayo, Yukon

• Overview

  Yukon holds Gillespie Lake, in Mayo. The bank is 1,516 metres above sea level. Around 74 hectares of surface means several distinct areas to work. There is roughly 6.0 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mayo list. Dawson City sits 272 km from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Anchorage, 890 km distant. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Gillespie Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name 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 Gillespie Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -23°C to 9°C. Everything is compressed into the middle of the year. Look for the thaw near early June; the fishing lifts straight after. Break-up near early June, freeze-up near early October: that is the shape of an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. The season on Gillespie Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Should this one be busy, McClusky Lake is 28 km off. For Gillespie Lake in particular, ask before you travel.