Fishing at Stokes Lake, Faro, Yukon

• Overview

  Out in Faro, Yukon, sits Stokes Lake. The ground around here is northern bush. At 13.58 sq km you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. There is roughly 38 km of bank, and each arm behaves like its own water. You are 248 km from Whitehorse. Dawson City is 311 km away, with Skagway at 388 km. Within a short drive: Earn Lake roughly 26 km, 39 km away is Moose Lake, Mist Lake roughly 49 km, 55 km away is Glenlyon Lake and Big Kalzas Lake roughly 60 km. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Stokes Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Faro: Chinook salmon and Arctic grayling. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Stokes Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 13°C; by January the average is down near -21°C. The window is narrow, and fish feed hard while it lasts. Winter locks it down, and mid May brings it back. Open water usually runs from mid May until about mid October. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Stokes Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Earn Lake is 26 km off. For Stokes Lake in particular, ask before you travel.