Fishing Dezadeash Lake in Haines Junction, Yukon

• Overview

  Look for Dezadeash Lake in Haines Junction, Yukon. It sits in northern bush country. This is big water, about 77.73 sq km, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The outline is moderately broken, so there is usually a lee somewhere. It is among the larger waters listed here for Haines Junction. Whitehorse sits 110 km from the bank. Further out sit Skagway (146 km) and Haines (162 km). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Dezadeash Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Haines Junction include Arctic grayling, northern pike, lake trout and Dolly Varden. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Dezadeash Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 12°C and January reads -16°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid May. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It sets the rhythm of the year at Dezadeash Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Six Mile Lake sits 15 km off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Dezadeash Lake if anything is unclear.