Slim Lake Fishing in Village of Teslin, Yukon

• Overview

  Slim Lake belongs to Village of Teslin, Yukon. The surface lies 1,132 metres up. The water covers around 1.88 sq km, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The shoreline runs about 9.5 km, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Supplies mean a trip to Watson Lake, 166 km off. It is 991 km to Anchorage, the nearest city. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Slim Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Village of Teslin, recorded fish include Chinook salmon, lake whitefish, Arctic grayling and least cisco. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Slim Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is -20°C to 11°C. The season is measured in weeks rather than months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about late October in a typical year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Slim Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Dorsey Lake, 25 km away. For Slim Lake in particular, ask before you travel.