Yukoners with fishing licenses are now subject to restrictions of lake trout harvested at Little Atlin Lake and a closure of all licensed and subsistence angler fishing in Tower Bay (Gokhtaheen) on Dezadeash Lake (Titl'àt Män) from July 1 to August 15.
Trout fishing at Little Atlin Lake is officially off-limits until the end of November. According to a recent advisory from Yukon Conservation Officer Services, the season closed on July 1 and will remain shut through November 30.
The Yukon government and Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) have agreed upon regulations to prohibit all licensed fishing at Tower Bay (Gokhtaheen) on Dezadeash Lake (Titl'àt Män) for a period of time each season, according a Yukon goverment news release.
The seasonal closure at Dezadeash Lake (Titl'àt Män), introduced by CAFN in June 2020, was based on Citizen input at the General Assembly, according to the Yukon government. It is the first regulation in Yukon to align subsistence fishing rules under First Nations law with territorial fisheries policy.
Dezadeash Lake’s shallow depth causes it to warm rapidly during the summer months. Lake trout seek refuge in Tower Bay, where cooler inflows provide relief from rising temperatures. This seasonal congregation increases their vulnerability to overfishing and may force them into warmer waters, compromising their ability to sustain normal body temperatures.
The closure is intended to protect lake trout that gather in the bay to escape rising water temperatures.
In addition to the Tower Bay (Gokhtaheen) closure, new conservation measures are now in effect at Little Atlin Lake, where lake trout populations have declined sharply in recent years, according to the Yukon government. Prior to the June 2 change requiring all lake trout to be released, anglers were required to release any lake trout caught outside a narrow harvest slot between 58.5 and 65 centimetres.
Anglers at Little Atlin Lake must also use single-point barbless hooks to reduce injury during catch-and-release.
The seasonal closure at Little Atlin Lake is part of a broader effort to protect fish during periods of thermal stress and spawning, according to 2025 closures variation order. According to government biologists, the lake has seen a 65 per cent drop in lake trout since 2015, largely attributed to increased angling pressure and a limited cold-water habitat.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
