Wolf Lake Lodge

120 miles east of Whitehorse, this true wilderness lodge enjoys spectacular views of the lake and Pelly Mountains.

Four comfortable but basic cabins cater for up to eight people. Separate washroom with flush plumbing and hot showers. An eight-person wood-burning hot tub is centrally located between the main lodge and guest cabins –the ideal place for a pre-dinner chill out. Excellent meals are served in the cosy main lodge. Small shop.

Flexible arrivals and departures.

What’s included

• Floatplane transfers from Whitehorse
• All meals
• Well equipped boats with outboards
• Fishing advice

Optional floatplane fly-outs

Activities

Angling, canoeing, walking, from riverside rambles to energetic mountain hikes, wildlife watching (Wolf Lake must be the moose capital of the world!) and photographic safaris.

Fishing

Dry fly fishing for grayling (the lake has a massive grayling population), dry fly fishing for lake trout to 50 pounds, June, early July and September. Fly fishing for trophy pike to 30 pounds. Spinning for lake trout and pike throughout the summer.

Tackle

Lightweight 4/5 fly rod for grayling, and small lake trout. 7/8 fly rod for bigger lake trout. Light to medium spinning rod for big lake trout and pike. There is some spinning tackle at the lodge.

Some tackle is available at the lodge but we advise take your own essentials:

Insect Repellant; There will be some mosquitoes around the cabins and on the banks of the Wolf River (in the vegetation), they are a minor inconvenience – so a good repellent like Deepwoods Off is wise. Do not spray it on mono line or plastics!

Sun Cream and moisture creams advisable, summers can be warm to hot, the air is clear and the atmosphere dry. We notice that cuts take a long time to heal in this northern latitude?!

Guide: Wes Walker is an angler and the lodge owner – he has an excellent knowledge of the lake, its relatively easy to find your way around. If shore fishing, particularly on the Wolf River, always pull your but up onto the shore away from the river mouth and tie it securely. Winds can blow up quickly.

Extras:

You only have to pay locally for drinks at the lodge and you can buy your fishing licence here too.

Tips:

Grayling..

Dry fly, floating line.

Wet fly, sinkl tip best.

Use a 5 to 6 weight rod.

Leaders, 6 to 8 pounds.

Flies, See DVD, Dries – Klinkhammer and knotted midge/ant patterns, the bigger the better. Use size 8 to 12 hooks.

Nymphs; large caddis, buzzers and gold eyes/lead heads very good.

A larger presentation usually sorts out the quality fish.

Wading is essential along the edge of the Wolf River. We prefer lightweight Gortex waders.

Lake Char (lake trout)

Dry Fly – superb sport on calm evenings in shallow bays, we prefer the very south shoreline fishing along the shallows of 4 to 8 feet, just before the dropoffs. Best time a few hours before sunset when the sedge hatch and the char come into the shallows, superb sport. A large sedge vibrated slowly along the surface proves irresistible. You do not always have to cast to rising fish, for every surface take there are numerous others close by and these char will swim some distance for your fly. You need very large sedge or muddler minnow patterns (Gink up). The bigger the better. These char will average 3 to 8 pounds so your grayling rod will be fun.!!

Wet fly – large streamers (bunny leeches etc). Fish a fast sink HD line, put all your line out just to the backing and troll very slowly, making long turns left and right (zig zags) and cut the engine into neutral then gear etc frequently. You are working the fly along and up and down. You should be fishing around 8 to 12 feet down so keep just into the drop off areas. We use large strong single hooks.. Size 1, 1/0, 2/0.

Lures – large to medium spoons and rubber jigs are deadly. 5 of diamonds and silver, silver/blue very effective. Cast and wing or troll at varying depths around underwater reefs, along drop offs and around features like points. There are a number of submerged reefs along the south part of the lake and at the back and lodge side of bird island. Be aware of not trolling into very shallow water.

Lure rod.. a medium to powerful spinning rod.

The north east end has some gradual sloping shallows from 40 to 6 feet as you approach the beach, you need to located the depth these char are feeding in, it’s a good area. Likewise all along the east side along the drop off zones.

Wolf Lake has some huge char, 50 pounders are caught each season, 4 to 18 pounders common. 20 – 30 pounders very attainable.

If you feel a tapping/plucking sensation do not strike, Lake Char have a tendancy to hit lures with their head, if you strike you will not hook up. At these times its best to give the fish about a yard of line, feed your streamer fly/lure to the fish.Wait for the rod to pull round then pull into the fish. Hard to get used to but the most effective way.

Northern Pike..

Always use a 20lb wire trace, 18 inches for lure fishing, 8 to 12 inches for fly fishing. The best Northern fishing is in the shallow reedy backwaters on the south east side of the lake near Irvines Creek.

Hooks should be barbless and singles only.

There is a large scale map at the lodge.