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How to Catch Fish
- Lake Trout
- Arctic Grayling
- Northern Pike
- White Fish
- Dolly Varden
- Bull Trout
- Rainbow Trout
- Burbot
- Inconnu
- Salmon
- Contact Us
Lake Trout
A beautiful fish. We manage this one carefully because it’s
popular with anglers and reproduces extremely slowly in
northern waters. Look for lake trout in mid-to large-size
lakes. They’re easiest to catch in the two to three week
period after ice out, which can occur anytime from early May
to earlyJune. During this period you can try large silverspoons,
minnow-like wrigglers and wobblers, large spinners, surface plugs, and even large dry flies. When the
lakes turn over in early July and the trout go deep, it’s time to switch to jigs and buzz bombs – pull them
up, then let them settle. Or you can try trolling with lead weights or a downrigger setup. Yukon anglers
usually release big lake trout because they’re more valuable as spawners than as wall mounts.
Additional Resources
Arctic Grayling
Our classic Yukon fish with the colourful oversize dorsal fin.
Found in almost every lake and stream, grayling average
about 0.5 kg (1 lb.) in weight but can reach up to 1.5 kg (3.5
lbs). Look for them in pools, eddies, and below riffles in
creeks and rivers. In lakes, look for them at the outlet or near
the mouths of streams entering the lake. Small spinners are
commonly used to catch this fish; small spoons as well. It’s a great fish to take on ultra light gear or
with a fly rod. This is also a great fish for kids and those just learning how to fish. On small creeks you
can tie a fly on light spincasting gear, hang your rod tip over the water and drop the fly. On large rivers
you can drift fish for grayling bouncing tiny jigs off the bottom. Just about anywhere, you can use the
fly and bobber setup described elsewhere in this brochure.
Additional Resources
Northern Pike
Watch your fingers. This fish has a mean set of teeth
and can weigh up to 10 kg (22 lbs.) or more. It’s fairly
easy to catch, exciting on the line and makes a great
meal when taken in cold northern waters. You’ll find it
in small shallow lakes, shallow bays in large lakes and in
the sloughs and backwaters of large rivers, from ice-out until the fall. Pike are commonly fished with
medium-to large-size spoons and spinners. But many local anglers are now fishing pike with surface
flies, plugs and other topwater lures, which bring the pike out of the water as they take the bait. Pow!
Try casting around the edge of a weed bed and hang on to your rod.
Additional Resources
White Fish
Whitefish are the most common fish in the North.
There are two types of whitefish of interest to anglers:
broad whitefish and lake whitefish, or humpies.
Average weight is about 1 kg (2lbs.) for both types, but
fish in the 1.5-3 kg (3.5-7 lbs.) range are not uncommon. Whitefish have
always been an important part of the Yukon First Nation diet. Anglers have
recently discovered its fine flavour and surprising excitement on the line. Watch for fins breaking the
water as whitefish school-up. In lakes, angle in shallow water throughout the summer. In
streams, fish
at the mouths of tributaries and below rapids. Small goldspoons and spinners work well. When they’re
feeding on bottom you can reach them with small jigs (1/32 or 1/64 oz.) or deep flies. This fish has a soft
mouth so set your hook gently.
Additional Resources
- Broad White Fish Species Information
- Lake (Humpback) White Fish Species Information
- Pigmy White Fish Species Information
- Round White Fish Species Information
Dolly Varden
This good looking fish is found in two areas of the Yukon:
the Tatshenshini River drainage in the southwest and the
Peel River drainage in the far North. Dempster Highway
travelers can fish Dollies in the Ogilvie and Blackstone Rivers anytime. Haines road travelers can fish Dollies in the
Tatshenshini River and its tributaries. But many Yukon anglers drive past the Tatshenshini and cross the
border to fish Dollies in the rivers near Haines, Alaska, a three hour drive from Haines Junction, Yukon.
Good Dolly fishing begins in early July and runs through to late October on both sides of the border.
They’re feeding on salmon eggs at this time so roe or imitation roe is the bait to use. Put it on a snell
hook with a bobber and let the stream carry it. A pixie spoon with its bright orange centre is another
good choice. Dollies can reach up to 1.5 kg (3 lbs.) in weight.
Additional Resources
Bull Trout
For decades, bull trout in the Yukon were thought to be
Dolly Varden. Bull trout have a larger flattened head
than Dollies but don’t have black spots on their dorsal
fins. An attractive, aggressive fish, the bull trout is found
in the Liard River drainage in the southeast Yukon, in lakes
as well as rivers. In rivers, look for it above and below rapids, in holes, and at the mouths of tributary
streams. In lakes, look for it near inlets, outlets and narrow spots. Bull trout will take medium-size
spinners and spoons as well as flies. Shallow trolling also works well in lakes. Bull trout average about 1
kg (2 lbs.) in weight but can reach up to about 3 kg (7 lbs.).
Additional Resources
Rainbow Trout
One of the world’s most popular game fish, wild populations
of rainbow trout are found only in the Kathleen and Aishihik
river systems in the Haines Junction area. In McIntyre
Creek and McLean Lakes near Whitehorse, stocked rainbows
have evolved into naturally reproducing populations. Only the
rainbows from McIntyre Creek, and stocked rainbows found in pothole lakes near many Yukon
communities, may be harvested. Small spinners are effective for Rainbows and so are traditional trout
flies. Flies imitating leeches are a good bet as well. In stocked lakes, powerbait is very popular with
local anglers. In spring, cast your lure onto the ice then drag it off into the water. Shallow trolling behind
a canoe can also be effective. Fishing from shore works just as well in most of our stocked lakes.
Additional Resources
Burbot
It’s not much for looks or performance, but you’d have a
hard time beating it on the plate. Sometimes called
freshwater (ling) cod, this fish attacks artificial lures only
during the spawning period in March and April. That’s
when some local anglers go ice fishing for burbot with jigs
and spoons. Burbot feed on bottom at night. In winter, you can get a free set line permit from
Environment Yukon, bait a hook with a piece of meat or fish, leave it on the bottom overnight, and pick
up your homely but tasty meal the next day. You can drop a baited hook on bottom in the summer as
well, but you can’t leave your line unattended. It’s a little difficult to skin this unusual fish with a knife.
After killing it quickly and humanely, you can pull the skin off with a pair of pliers. Boil the meat in salted
water, or fry it in garlic butter for a taste comparable to lobster.
Additional Resources
Inconnu
Inconnu means “unknown” in French. And that’s what
this fish is. Few people have seen an Inconnu. We
don’t know much about its habits but it’s related to
the whitefish. Its flesh is oily so it’s not the best table
fish, but it’s scrappy on the end of a line and it’s big – up
to 10 kg (22 lbs.). It’s found in the Yukon and Peel River drainages and it’s a bottom feeder.
The few local anglers who pursue Inconnu usually fish big rivers such as the Yukon and the Teslin, at
the mouths of tributary streams and in back eddies. Inconnu are sometimes fished with gold and silver
spoons about 4 cm (1 1/2 in.) long. Others drift fish with rubber tailed jigs. Inconnu are easier to find
when the rivers are low in August or September. If you plan to release this fish, handle it very gently
as its scales come off easily.
Additional Resources
Salmon
Four types of salmon enter the Tatshenshini and Yukon River
systems in late summer and early fall: Chinook, Coho, Sockeye and
Chum. Salmon fishing requires special gear including a heavy rod
and reel. This fishery has detailed seasonal closures, and short-notice
closures can occur anytime if the runs are lower than expected.
For more informationabout salmon, contact
Fisheries and Oceans, Canada 
(DFO)
inWhitehorse at (867) 393-6722 or1-866-676-6722.
Additional Resources
- Chinook Salmon Species Information
- Coho Salmon Species Information
- Sockeye Salmon Species Information
- Chum Salmon Species Information
- Kokanee Salmon Species Information
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Government of Yukon Box 2703 (V-3A) Phone: 867-667-5652 Email: environmentyukon@gov.yk.ca |