Fishing Borthwick Lake in Haines Junction, Yukon

• Overview

  Look for Borthwick Lake in Haines Junction, Yukon. The setting is dry rangeland. About 1.25 sq km, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. The margin runs to about 7.0 km in total. Compared with other Yukon water on our list, it sits high. Whitehorse sits 153 km from here and is the nearest stop. Skagway follows at 252 km, then Haines at 271 km. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Borthwick Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Haines Junction list Arctic grayling, northern pike, lake trout, Dolly Varden and round whitefish. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Borthwick Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 11°C at the top of summer and -20°C at the bottom of winter. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. Look for the thaw near late May; the fishing lifts straight after. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly mid October. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Borthwick Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Sekulmun Lake sits 6.6 km off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for Borthwick Lake.