Little Buffalo Lake Fishing in Carmacks, Yukon

• Overview

  Out in Carmacks, Yukon, sits Little Buffalo Lake. The ground round it is sage and rock. About 3.28 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The outline measures near 8.8 km, so local knowledge counts. Nearest town is Whitehorse, 150 km off. Anchorage is the closest city, 715 km away. Within a short drive: Coal Mine Lake at about 27 km, Twin Lakes (34 km), Mandanna Lake at about 35 km, Mackintosh Lake (43 km) and Satasha Lake at about 45 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Little Buffalo Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Carmacks list Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling and northern pike. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Take Little Buffalo Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 12°C for July and -23°C for January. Water stays cold even at the height of the year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid May. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to mid October. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan around that when you fish Little Buffalo Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Coal Mine Lake sits 27 km off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Little Buffalo Lake in what we hold.