Kluane Wilderness Lodge
Whitehorse, Yukon
Self-guided, fly-in only lodge on Wellesley Lake in Yukon's remote northwest, specializing in trophy lake trout.
Overview
Kluane Wilderness Lodge is a single remote fishing lodge located on Wellesley Lake in the Yukon, roughly 200 air miles northwest of Whitehorse near the glacier-fed Donjek and White Rivers. The operation has been owned and run by Brian Dack since 1996, when he purchased the property sight unseen; according to the lodge's own site, he has owned and operated the lodge for more than three decades and describes the business as built on a family-style atmosphere.
The lodge is the only commercial operation on Wellesley Lake, a roughly 60-square-mile body of water that the operation manages as a catch-and-release, single-barbless-hook fishery. The lodge is situated within view of the St. Elias Mountains and Kluane National Park, and access is strictly by a 200 mile floatplane ride from Whitehorse, with the nearest neighbor or road about 80 miles away.
Unlike many northern fishing lodges, Kluane Wilderness Lodge operates as a 100% self-guided (unguided) fishery: guests are provided a boat, motor, and fuel and fish independently on the lake rather than with an assigned guide, with the lodge owner always available for information and local guidance.
Established: 1996
Highlights
The Fishing
The main target species is lake trout, with the lodge and several independent sources describing Wellesley Lake as one of the top trophy lake trout fisheries in Canada; average fish are reported in the mid-teens of pounds, with 40-pound fish described as common and fish over 50 pounds possible. Anglers can jig, cast, troll, or fly fish for trout, and techniques range from shallow fly and indicator fishing early in the season to deep jigging or trolling with sinking lines for the largest fish. Northern pike are also present in the shallow bays and along drop-offs, with fish commonly in the mid-single to high-teens of pounds and some larger individuals reported, and lake whitefish are also caught, including on dry flies.
Because the lodge operates on a self-guided basis, anglers run their own boats (two guests per boat) and fish on their own schedule; during peak season in June and July, with nearly 24 hours of daylight, fishing can continue around the clock. The lake is described as largely free of underwater hazards apart from one reef section near the lodge, making it straightforward to navigate without a guide.
Accommodations
Guests stay in duplex-style cabins that each house two guests per room, equipped with two twin beds, down comforters, a glass-door wood-burning stove, and a private washroom with a hot shower; cabins sit along the waterfront with gravel walkways connecting them to the main lodge. The main lodge building houses a large dining area for breakfast and dinner, a licensed bar and pool table, a stocked tackle shop, and a hot tub, along with wireless internet. Meals are included and are reported to feature at least one shore lunch of freshly caught fish during a stay.
Fish Species
What They Offer
Amenities available at one or more of this outfitter's properties.
Boats includedGetting There
Guests fly commercially to Whitehorse, Yukon, and are advised to arrive a day before departing to the lodge, staying overnight in Whitehorse (not included in the package). From Whitehorse, access to the lodge is by floatplane only, a flight of roughly 200 miles, as there is no road access to the property. The lodge describes itself as being in genuinely remote country, with the nearest neighbor or road about 80 miles away.
Access:
Air service:
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