Sandy Lake, Yukon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Sandy Lake sits within Whitehorse in Yukon. It stands 880 metres above sea level. At 2.42 sq km this is proper open water rather than a pond. With 7.7 km or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Whitehorse list it sits near the top for size. Whitehorse lies 113 km from the water. Skagway is 227 km and Haines 252 km. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Sandy Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Whitehorse records list Chinook salmon, Arctic grayling, round whitefish and longnose sucker among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Sandy Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 12°C; the cold one sits at -20°C. The ice season is long here and the open one short. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. Climate figures give an open season running mid May to late October. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. On Sandy Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows a campsite some 900 m from the water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Big Salmon Lake sits 5.7 km off and takes the overflow. Where Sandy Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.