20 prime places to catch the Yukon’s gorgeous Arctic grayling

If you could only wet a line for one species of fish in your home province or territory, what would it be? That’s the question we asked ourselves at Outdoor Canada when selecting our 2019 Canadian fishing hot spots. For more bucket-list species and hot spots, see our complete list.

THE YUKON: ARCTIC GRAYLING

Arctic grayling in the Yukon

Why this is one of Canada’s must-have fishing experiences

For a fish that most Canadian anglers have never caught, and perhaps never even heard about, Arctic grayling certainly inhabit a vast swath of our north country. These are frontier fish, found in countless cold-water lakes, rivers and streams, from Hudson Bay west to the Pacific Ocean, and north from the tips of B.C. and the Prairie provinces to the Arctic Ocean. And if anywhere typifies the places that grayling call home, it’s the Yukon.

Members of the Salmonidae family, Arctic grayling are not giant fish, typically weighing less than two pounds and measuring no more than 16 inches in length. But what they lack in size, they more than make up for in appearance. With their oversized dorsal fins and vibrant iridescent colouring, they’re truly magnificent to behold. And equal to their stunning visual appeal is their taste—a shorelunch of fresh-caught Arctic grayling is a must on any angler’s agenda when visiting the Land of the Midnight Sun.

The best part about grayling, however, is their abundance and willingness to bite, often grabbing flies or small lures dangling in the current as you prepare to cast. They’re surprisingly tough fighters for their small stature, too, making for great sport—and a truly unique northern fishing experience.

WHEN TO GO: June to September

HOT TACTIC: Drift a 1/16th-ounce brown jig and black curly tail grub beneath a float

LEARN MORE: www.yukon.ca

THE HOT SPOTS

1. Braeburn Lake
2. Cottonwood River
3. East Aishinik River
4. Kathleen River
5. Klondike River
6. Kluane Lake
7. Kluhini River
8. Lake Laberge
9. Little Atlin Lake
10. Muncho Lake
11. Pelly River
12. Rancheria River
13. Snafu Lake
14. Tagish Lake
15. Takhini River
16. Teslin River
17. Tincup Lake
18. Toobally Lakes
19. Wolf Lake & River
20. Yukon River

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