Fishing at Morley Lake, Village of Teslin, Yukon

• Overview

  Morley Lake lies within the bounds of Village of Teslin, Yukon. What surrounds it is northern bush. Surface area runs to some 11.06 sq km, so a boat and a plan are both worth having. The perimeter is close to 29 km, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. On our Village of Teslin list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is Whitehorse, 180 km away. Watson Lake is 187 km away, with Skagway at 192 km. Rules here are straightforward: one set of provincial rules.

• Where to Fish on Morley Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Village of Teslin, recorded fish include Chinook salmon, lake whitefish, Arctic grayling, least cisco and northern pike. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Morley Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs -19°C to 12°C. A short, intense season is the rule this far north. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly early November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Morley Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Helen Lake is 8.5 km off. Treat access at Morley Lake as something to verify.