A season in the Yukon

I checked in recently with Hardy Ruf, the owner and operator of Dalton Trail Lodge in the southern Yukon. We're planning a hosted trip to Yukon next summer (Aug. 23-30), and we were ironing out the details. As is usual, we start to market the next season at the lodge when the current season is about halfway over. And, with rare exception, the lodge's prime weeks for the next season are generally booked by the end of September the year before. 

This season, there's only one open week left at the lodge: September 14-21 — and that's only because of a cancellation. It's a prime week, too. It's at peak of the annual lake trout migration — for streamer anglers, it might be the best week of the year. If you’re interested in chasing 8- to 15-pound lake trout running upriver amid one of the most dramatic backdrops on the planet, drop us a line. 

 

What does a season in the Yukon look like?

As we've started our 2026 sales push for the lodge (which is a very enjoyable process — most folks never get enough the first time, and rebook fairly quickly after returning home), I've been fielding questions from new clients about when to go. My pat answer is, “Whenever you can — there’s no bad time to visit the Yukon in the summer.”

But, of course, the best answers are more nuanced, and, in fielding an inquiry for a new client in the UK this week, I ended up generally describing a typical fishing season from Dalton Trail Lodge. And, I realized, it’s worth sharing to a wider crowd as folks start to plan their 2026 travel schedule. So, here goes — this is what a season in the Yukon looks like.

Late May through June

Early season fishing is among the best all year for lake trout in shallow water. It's also prime time for pike, with smaller males moving up into the shallows first, followed by the very big females. Opening week at the lodge is famous for big fish, both pike and lake trout.

As June proceeds, fishing really gets going. By the summer solstice, pike fishing is prime and lake trout have started to move off the shoals and into deeper water, except in the shallow lakes, like Dezadeash, where the lodge is located. In order to find the cold water they need, the lake trout in Dezadeash nose up into the river and creek mouths in search of both glacial and snow runoff. This is also where their food source lives — grayling and whitefish. So, at Dalton Trail, fly fishers have a very unique opportunity to essentially target big lake trout on the fly all season long. 

July

July is a transition month, and probably offers the best dry-fly fishing of the season for grayling and the Yukon's only native population of rainbow trout. Early July is still quite good for pike on topwater flies, like poppers and Gurglers, but as the month continues and things warm up, the pike tend to sulk a bit and go as deep as they can. Lake trout are still found just off the river and creek mouths throughout the region. The weather is about as good as it gets, too, with temperatures climbing into the 80s. 

 

August

Summer is fully upon the Yukon — great weather, generally clear skies and very good trout and grayling fishing highlight the first half of the month. There's usually a cooling period around the middle of August (fall comes early in the Yukon), and the leaves on the aspens start to change as the weather cools. Pike come back up into shallow water to feed, and lake trout move in, too. It's the beginning of a magical season in the Yukon — the lake trout migration. Every year, starting in the latter half of August, lake trout in the southern Yukon move up the rivers and streams of the region as they prepare to spawn. By late August, lake trout in the 8- to 15-round range are moving upriver, and they are aggressive and beautifully colored. Dry-fly fishing continues for grayling and rainbows, and pike are getting more active every day. 

 

 

September

September is the crescendo of lake trout run. As lodge owner Hardy Ruff puts it, "the rivers run black with trout." At Dalton Traill, September fishing for lake trout is among the best anywhere, and trophy fish up 100 centimeters come to hand every fall. As an exclamation point on the season, the pike fishing is excellent once the weather cools off and these aggressive fish go into a state of hyperphagia — they eat until it looks as if they're about to burst. It's a great month to be a fly fisher in the Yukon. 

Getting there

It’s the Yukon. It must be an absolute chore to get to Dalton Trail Lodge, right? Yes, the lodge is remote — it’s on the Haines Highway just south of Haines Junction and about two hours away from Whitehorse by car. Aside from those two communities, there’s a whole lot of nothing in the southern Yukon. But, surprisingly, it's very easy to get to the Yukon and to Dalton Trail Lodge. Most folks get to the Yukon via a flight to Vancouver, and then a short flight (sometimes on the same day) to Whitehorse. From there, the lodge takes you the rest of the way. The drive down the Alaska and Haines highways is absolutely gorgeous. 

The lodge

When we first visited Dalton Trail several years back, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We were brand new at the time — we officially opened the doors at Hatch Adventure Travel in December 2021, and I flew to Whitehorse in August of 2022 — and we were looking for quality destinations to offer a growing list of discerning clients. My business partners had never heard of Dalton Trail Lodge, and fishing in the Yukon never seemed to come across the radar. The trip turned out to be a great move, both for us, and for the wonderful Ruf family that runs the lodge has has for more than 40 years. 

About a year ago, I was thrilled when Hardy informed me that we were the lodge’s top booking agent, and that includes not just other travel agents, but also the online clearing house sites that direct travelers to vacation destinations all over the world. Of course, as grateful as we are for the lodge’s appreciation, we know that it really comes down to the team at Dalton Trail Lodge and how they take care of our clients. 

Let us know if you’re interested in visiting the lodge. It’s a great, affordable destination for solo travelers, groups of anglers, families, or even for corporate retreats — it features wonderful indoor and outdoor gathering areas, comfortable single-occupancy rooms, beautiful cabins right on the lake, and the meals and service are among the best we offer, at any rate. And now, with great weeks available in 2026, is the ideal time to book your Yukon adventure.