Fishing Kelly Lake in Carmacks, Yukon

• Overview

  Kelly Lake is one of the Carmacks waters in Yukon. The water sits 887 metres up. Surface area runs to roughly 1.59 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The perimeter runs near 8.0 km, so plan the walk before you start. Supplies mean a trip to Whitehorse, 190 km off. Dawson City follows at 263 km, then Skagway at 327 km. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Kelly Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Open biodiversity records for Carmacks list Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling and northern pike. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Kelly Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 13°C and January about -23°C. Cold dominates the calendar on water this far north. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly late October. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Kelly Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Should this one be busy, Ess Lake is 12 km off. The position on Kelly Lake is worth confirming on the day.