Porter Lake, Yukon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Faro, Yukon, this is Porter Lake. It lies 1,433 metres above sea level. The water covers some 23 hectares, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 2.2 km, small enough to learn in a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Faro list. Norman Wells is the closest place, 240 km off. Anchorage is the closest city, 1016 km away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Porter Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Faro include Chinook salmon and Arctic grayling. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Porter Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 10°C and January near -25°C on the long-run figures. Long winters and short summers set the pattern. Look for the thaw near early June; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about early October. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Porter Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Algae Lake, 27 km away. Where Porter Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.