Arctic grayling are the reason to bring a fly rod to the Yukon. They are abundant, they are willing, they take dry flies with an enthusiasm that borders on comedy, and — unusually for a far-north fishery — a great deal of the best water is within sight of a road.
Why the Yukon is different from the rest of the Arctic
Most Arctic sportfishing requires a float plane and a five-figure budget. The Yukon does not. The territory has roughly 4,800 kilometres of highway, and those highways follow river valleys, cross hundreds of streams, and pass dozens of lakes. You can fly into Whitehorse, rent a vehicle, and be catching grayling the same afternoon.
That accessibility, plus a population of about 45,000 people spread across an area larger than California, means very light fishing pressure on excellent water.
The season
The Yukon's open-water season is short and intense.
- Ice-out on most rivers and lakes runs mid-May into early June, later at higher elevation and farther north.
- Post-ice-out grayling concentrate in tributaries and stream mouths to spawn, and the fishing is immediately good.
- June, July and August are the peak, with near-continuous daylight in June and a surface bite that runs all day.
- September is often the best month for size — fish are heavy going into winter and the crowds, such as they are, have gone.
- October brings freeze-up.
Midsummer daylight is a genuine factor. Around the summer solstice, Whitehorse gets roughly nineteen hours of daylight and never gets truly dark. You can fish at midnight.
Around Whitehorse
The territorial capital and the base for most trips. Within an hour or two:
The Yukon River through town and downstream, including the stretch below the Whitehorse Rapids dam and the Takhini River confluence.
The Takhini River — accessible from the Alaska Highway west of Whitehorse, running from Kusawa Lake to the Yukon. Good grayling water with easy pull-off access.
Fish Lake — a short drive from downtown, holding grayling and lake trout.
Kusawa Lake — south of the Alaska Highway on a gravel road, a large deep lake with a river inlet and outlet that both concentrate grayling.
The Wheaton River and the Watson River, south toward Carcross, are small, clear and full of willing fish.
Marsh Lake and Tagish Lake, on the Alaska Highway and the Tagish Road, with grayling at the inlets and along the shorelines.
The Klondike Highway: Carmacks to Dawson
Running north from Whitehorse to Carmacks and on to Dawson City, the Klondike Highway crosses a series of excellent grayling streams.
The Nordenskiold River at Carmacks. The Pelly River at Pelly Crossing. The Stewart River near Stewart Crossing, and the Mayo road heading east toward Mayo and Keno. The Klondike River near Dawson City.
Every one of these has road access, and most of them see almost nobody. The routine is simple: stop at a bridge, walk up or down a few hundred metres away from the crossing, and fish the runs and pools.
The Dempster Highway
The 736-kilometre gravel road running north from near Dawson City across the Arctic Circle to Inuvik in the Northwest Territories. It is one of the great drives in North America and it crosses some of the best road-accessible grayling water anywhere.
The Blackstone River, Engineer Creek, the Ogilvie River and the Eagle River all cross or parallel the highway. The Tombstone Territorial Park section, in the first hundred kilometres, is spectacular and holds excellent fish.
A Dempster trip is a real expedition even though it is a road: gravel surface, very limited services, tire damage is common, and fuel is available at only a handful of points. Carry two spares, extra fuel and food, and tell someone your plan.
How to read a grayling stream
Grayling are drift feeders. They face into current in a run or a pool and eat what the water brings them.
The critical insight, and the one that will get you a bigger fish: grayling stratify by size within a pool. The largest fish take the prime lie at the head of the run, where food arrives first and in the greatest volume. Smaller fish are pushed progressively downstream into the tail.
So: fish the head of the pool first. If you start at the tail and work up, you will catch five 9-inch fish and spook the 16-incher at the top before you ever reach it.
Other productive water:
- Inlets and outlets of lakes — where a stream enters or leaves, food and grayling concentrate.
- Seams behind boulders and current breaks.
- Deeper slots and pools in otherwise shallow streams, especially on bright days.
Tackle and flies
A 3 to 5 weight fly rod is ideal. Grayling are not large — a 14-inch fish is very good and 18 inches is a genuine trophy — and light tackle makes them far more fun.
Dry flies. A Parachute Adams, an Elk Hair Caddis, a Royal Wulff or a Griffith's Gnat in size 12 to 18. Pattern matters far less than drag-free drift. Grayling are among the least selective surface feeders in North America.
Nymphs. A beadhead pheasant tail or hare's ear drifted through a run will reach the larger fish that hold deeper and refuse to come up.
Spinning tackle. A 1/16 oz inline spinner in gold or silver on ultralight gear is completely effective and much easier in wind. So is a small jig under a float.
Bring a long-billed cap and polarized glasses — you can often see fish holding in the clear water, and sight-fishing to a specific grayling is the best way to target a big one.
What else you will catch
Yukon waters hold northern pike, lake trout, Arctic char in the far north, chinook and chum salmon in the Yukon River system, burbot, and whitefish. A grayling trip frequently becomes a mixed-bag trip, which is part of the appeal.
Chinook salmon on the Yukon River are under severe conservation restriction, and the fishery has been closed to all harvest in recent years under an agreement between Canada and the United States. Do not target chinook on the Yukon River without checking current restrictions — this is a serious conservation situation, not a paperwork detail.
Handling and conservation
Grayling are fragile, and on a good day you may catch a lot of them, which multiplies the effect of careless handling.
- Barbless hooks. Non-negotiable on a fifty-fish day. They are also required in some Yukon waters.
- Keep them wet. Unhook in the net, in the water. Grayling scales come off easily and their skin is thin.
- Mind the dorsal. That enormous sail fin should not be folded or laid on. Set the fish on its side and let the fin lie free.
- Land them fast. Light tippet plus a long fight equals a dead fish.
Grayling grow slowly in cold water. An 18-inch Yukon grayling may be well over ten years old, and there is no meaningful way to replace it.
Practical logistics
- Whitehorse has full services, tackle shops, vehicle rental and flights. It is the obvious base.
- Bear country. Grizzlies and black bears are present throughout. Carry spray, know how to use it, and make noise on brushy approaches.
- Mosquitoes and blackflies in June and July are severe. A head net is not optional.
- Weather can turn in an hour at any time of year. Bring layers and rain gear regardless of the forecast.
- Cell service exists in Whitehorse and along parts of the Alaska and Klondike Highways, and essentially nowhere on the Dempster.
Before you go
Non-residents need a Yukon angling licence, available online and from vendors throughout the territory. Regulations include species-specific limits, barbless hook requirements on certain waters, seasonal closures, and specific restrictions on salmon. Some waters are catch-and-release only and some are closed entirely. The Yukon Government publishes the current Yukon Fishing Regulations Summary. Read the water-specific sections, not just the general limits.
Check your regulations before you go. Seasons, size limits, slot limits, bag limits and access rules change and vary by individual water body. Confirm the current rules with the relevant state or provincial fish and wildlife agency. Nothing on this page is a substitute for that.
