Fishing at Pinguicula Lake, Mayo, Yukon

• Overview

  Set in Mayo, Pinguicula Lake is a Yukon water. The setting is taiga. Surface area runs to roughly 1.17 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. There is roughly 7.1 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. The town to know is Dawson City, 298 km out. Norman Wells follows at 316 km, then Inuvik at 409 km. Others worth noting: Gillespie Lake 28 km away, Fairchild Lake about 36 km, Rackla Lake 44 km away and McClusky Lake about 50 km. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Pinguicula Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Mayo include Chinook salmon, mountain whitefish and sockeye salmon. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Work Pinguicula Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 10°C for July and -24°C for January. Winter owns most of the year at this latitude. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly early October. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Pinguicula Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Gillespie Lake is 28 km off. Treat access at Pinguicula Lake as something to verify.