Talbot Lake, Yukon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Talbot Lake sits within Mayo in Yukon. The bank is 612 metres above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 1.09 sq km, so plan for one area rather than the whole. There is roughly 8.1 km of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. It is low-lying compared with other Yukon water we list. Nearest place of any size is Dawson City, 193 km away. The nearest city of size is Anchorage, 769 km away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Talbot Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Mayo cover Chinook salmon, mountain whitefish and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Talbot Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 14°C; by January the average is down near -24°C. This is a two-season water: locked, then wide open. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around mid October. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Talbot Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For salmon, swing spoons or flies through the moving water and mind the local method rules. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Francis Lake, 5.1 km out. Where Talbot Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.