About this tour
When Mia from our BugBitten team tried this Yukon combo, she spent a northern night jigging for burbot inside a heated ice shelter while watching for aurora overhead. It's a genuinely quirky Yukon activity — you're fishing at night (burbot are nocturnal feeders), wrapped in warmth, sipping hot chocolate, and hoping the sky puts on a show. The guide brings three decades of fishing know-how, and the whole thing runs 4–6 hours depending on conditions and how keen you are. It's the kind of thing you tell people back home actually happened.
Highlights
- Burbot fishing at night inside a cosy, insulated shelter on ice
- Heated setup with hot chocolate and snacks included — actually comfortable
- Guide with 30+ years fishing experience, knows what he's doing
- Private transport means no coordinating logistics in the dark
- Burbot are aggressive feeders, decent odds of actual catches
- Aurora viewing built into the same evening — double activity
- All gear and bait supplied, no fiddling before you start
- Suitable for beginners and all fitness levels
What to expect
Mia met her guide, sorted the fishing licence ($12.05 if you haven't grabbed one online already), and headed onto the ice. The shelter is purpose-built for this — heated and insulated, so you're genuinely warm, not shivering in a tent. You'll fish for burbot, which are the only freshwater cod on earth and they hunt at night, so the timing makes sense. The guide handles setup; you drop a line and wait. Burbot bite aggressively when they're interested, so there's real action rather than meditative patience.
The aurora component depends entirely on clear skies and solar activity — no guarantees, but if conditions align, you're outside on dark ice with minimal light pollution, which is ideal viewing. The 4–6 hour window gives you proper time to fish, warm up between sessions, and let your eyes adjust for any sky show. Mia found the pace unhurried; it's not a rushed checklist.
What travellers say
- Heated shelter means you're actually warm, not enduring cold
- Guide's 30+ years fishing experience shows in real catches
- Burbot night feeding makes this genuinely productive, not luck
- All-in package — gear, bait, transport, snacks sorted
- Beginner-friendly and accessible regardless of fitness level
- Aurora potential adds a second activity to the same evening
- Aurora viewing is weather-dependent; cloudy nights mean no show
- Fishing licence ($12.05) is an overlooked extra cost
- No guarantees on catch size or quantity on any given night
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This is genuinely different from standard tourist fishing. Burbot are odd enough to be interesting, the heated shelter removes the "suffering in the cold" factor, and a veteran guide takes the guesswork out. If you want a real Yukon winter activity that isn't just posing for photos, this lands. It suits anyone from beginners to experienced anglers, and the private transport saves you coordinating taxis or transit in the dark.
Aurora is never guaranteed — you're at the mercy of clear skies and space weather. If the sky stays cloudy, you're fishing in the dark (still fun, but not the combo promised). The fishing licence ($12.05 for a day pass) is extra and easy to forget. Early evening or night fishing means late starts aren't an option. Walking onto ice can feel dodgy if you're not used to it, though it's safe. Gratuities aren't included, so budget a tip for the guide.
Bring warm layers, a good winter coat, and insulated boots — the shelter is heated but you'll step outside. All gear is supplied. Hot drinks and snacks are included; ask in advance if you want something specific. Group size isn't specified, so check if it's solo, small group, or larger. Peak aurora season is September–March; summer won't work.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.