It is not necessary to buy your fishing tackle and fishing lures for your Yukon fishing holiday before leaving home. Our Wilderness Fishing Yukon guide will be taking you to a fishing gear and supplies store in Whitehorse and will point out some of our favorite and best lake fishing lures.
If, however, you already have the following fishing lures available, please feel free to bring them along and remember that all Yukon lake fishing is with barbless hooks (barbs squashed down with pliers).
Lake Trout Fishing Lures
Almost any 3″-6″ diving plug will do. Our favorite is the Bagley extra-deep shad. Most 3″-5″ spoons also work well. A few of our favorites are: 3″ chartreuse Kit-A-Mat; 3″ and 5″ Five of Diamonds; 3″ Little Cleos; 5″ Crocodiles; 3″ Kamloopers; 3″ Kastmasters. 1/2 oz. lead headed jigs with red and white bodies work very well. As for color; we like chartreuse, orange, red, white and yellow combinations for the best action. Keep in mind that Coghlan, Ten-Mile, Frank, and Ken Lakes have very clear water and a lure with too much silver can be blinding to the fish on a sunny day.
Northern Pike Fishing Lures
All of the above, plus surface plugs, bucktail spinners and daredevil spoons. There are very few weedy areas except at Teehnah but you could bring a couple of lures with weedless hooks.
Arctic Grayling Fishing Lures
1″ to 1.5″ spoons work best. Mepps-type spinners are o.k. Most Grayling strike while the lure is sinking and before the retrieve has begun. Wet flies are usually more productive than dry. Almost all patterns will work. Black gnat and mosquito are two popular ones.
Whitefish Fishing Lures
Most whitefish caught are caught accidentally, while trolling or casting for trout or grayling. Some of our guests have succeeded in getting them to hit a nymph fly on the shoals. Flutter spoons are said to work. Ask Bernard about directions for making a whitefish rig.
Burbot Fishing Lures
Are caught mostly on a baited hook sitting on the bottom in 40 to 50 feet of water. Pieces of fish belly fat, a chunk of wiener or bacon are successfully used for bait. A set line permit is required for this type of fishing and can be obtained through renewable resources Yukon free of charge.
Fly-Fishing Gear for Lake Trout and Northern Pike
Requires a fairly heavy rod and a strong leader. Both species have very sharp teeth. Streamer flies should be large; 2.5″ – 4″ in length. They should have a minnow-like action. White, yellow and red are common and successful colors. Streamers and flies are available for purchase in Whitehorse. Ask us for specific flies that work better in different lakes.
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