Large River · Glacial Till · Yukon, CA

Yukon River (upper, Whitehorse area)

Yukon River (upper, Whitehorse area) — Yukon River, Canada

The upper Yukon around Whitehorse is accessible northern fly water — a big, cold, lake-fed river with Arctic grayling, lake trout and pike.

Today · Slow going — pick your moments
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Today
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
30.10 m
Lifting fast
Water temp7.6°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather8°C
WindN 8 km/h
Pressure1032 hPa
Rain · recent12.6 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Lake Trout
Ideal
8°C est.ideal 612°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Lake Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Excellent water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10am

12pm(now) Black Midge

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 35%
Also:Mahogany Dun28%
Peak emergence windowWeather boost5 food groups active

Peak activity at 10amBlack Midge (Black Midge, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
1
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Lake Trout fly box
LB
Large Baitfish StreamerTop
1/0-4 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Chinook CLOSED (Yukon River moratorium); grayling/laker/pike C&R/limits
  • Verify current Yukon regulations.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Gallery · 2
  1. Yukon River (upper, Whitehorse area) — Yukon River, Canada
    Yukon River, Canada
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The upper Yukon around Whitehorse is accessible northern fly water — a big, cold, lake-fed river with Arctic grayling, lake trout and pike. It once carried one of the longest Chinook salmon migrations on earth, but those kings are now severely depressed and closed to fishing; we carry the salmon as present-only and direct anglers to the grayling, lakers and pike instead. Clear lake-fed reaches make for pleasant, accessible northern fishing.

Under the surface

The upper Yukon around Whitehorse and the Southern Lakes is a big, cold, lake-fed river holding Arctic grayling, lake trout and northern pike, with Chinook (king) salmon historically running far up the system. Clear in its lake-fed reaches and sizeable, it offers accessible northern fly fishing for grayling and lakers — though the once-great Chinook run is now severely depressed and closed to fishing.

Wading: Big cold river, strong current

  • Glacial till
  • Partly confined
  • Large river
  • Glide
Conservation note

Arctic grayling, lake trout and northern pike (C&R / limits). Yukon River CHINOOK SALMON are severely depressed and under moratorium/closure (Canada–US Yukon River Panel) — present in the system but NOT a fishing target; never scored as harvest. Clean-Drain-Dry.

The full read · show the working · for Lake Trout · confidence 75%
How the 81 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow90 × 22%19.8
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time50 × 13%6.5
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity49 × 12%5.9
Conditions total= 81
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 June30 September
  • Coarse 1 January31 December

    No closed/spawning season for pike in Yukon — territorial regulations state most waters, including the Yukon River, are open year-round for all freshwater species except site-specific closures (none applicable to pike here).

Related guides
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