Snafu Lake, Yukon: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Village of Teslin, Yukon, this is Snafu Lake. The water sits 881 metres up. At some 4.70 sq km it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. Shoreline length is close to 23 km, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Village of Teslin are bigger. Nearest place of any size is Whitehorse, 107 km away. Skagway is 132 km and Haines 154 km. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Snafu 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. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Village of Teslin cover Chinook salmon, lake whitefish, Arctic grayling and least cisco. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Treat Snafu Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 12°C and January reads -18°C. The fishing year opens late and shuts early. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid May. Averages suggest open water from about mid May through to roughly late October. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Snafu Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Pike Lake at 6.7 km is the sensible second choice. What applies at Snafu Lake may have changed since it was mapped.