Whitehorse Fish Ladder

Whitehorse Fish Ladder Longest wooden fishladder in the world 🐟
OPEN HOURS:
8:30am - 4:30pm,
Monday - Friday,
June 8th - Sept 4 The fishladder was put into service in June 1959.

In 1957-58, the Whitehorse dam was built to meet the growing demand for electricity in the city. At the same time, a fishladder was designed and construction began to allow the migration of Chinook salmon in the Yukon River to bypass the dam and reach their spawning grounds further upstream. That first year, 1,054 salmon went through the ladder. While the fishladder included 3 viewing windows to a

llow the public to see the salmon as the fish travelled up the ladder, there was initially no visitor reception center. Instead, students were hired to operate a small information booth during the summer months. It wasn't until the 1980's that an interpretive building was built and a series of outdoor walkways constructed. Today, the Whitehorse Rapids Fishway is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Yukon. As many as 30,000 people a year come to see the salmon.

***
Entre 1957 et 1958, la construction du barrage hydro Ă©lectrique de Whitehorse fĂ»t un ajoĂ»t de taille pour rĂ©pondre Ă  la demande grandissante en Ă©lectricitĂ© de la population. Au mĂȘme moment, on procĂ©da Ă  l'amĂ©nagement de la Passe migratoire des Rapides de Whitehorse. Cette passe migratoire fĂ»t spĂ©cialement conçue pour permettre aux saumons Chinook (quinnat) migrant depuis la mer de BĂ©ring par le fleuve Yukon de rejoindre leurs frayĂšres en amont du barrage. La passe migratoire Ă©tait officiellement en activitĂ© en juin 1959. La premiĂšre annĂ©e, un total de 1,059 saumons utilisĂšrent la passe. Bien que la passe migratoire des Rapides de Whitehorse dĂ©tenait trois fenĂȘtres d'observation pour le public, il n'y avait pourtant pas de centre d'interprĂ©tation. En contrepartie, des Ă©tudiants Ă©taient engagĂ©s durant la saison estivale et opĂ©raient un petit kiosque d'information pour rĂ©pondre aux demandes des visiteurs. Ce n'est que durant les annĂ©es 80 qu'un centre d'interprĂ©tation fĂ»t construit, en plus de nombreuses passerelles extĂ©rieures. De nos jours, la passe migratoire des Rapides de Whitehorse est l'une des attractions touristiques les plus populaires au Yukon. Environ 30,000 personnes viennent observer les saumons chaque annĂ©e.

Since Salmon appreciation day was so exciting, we had some catching up to do on the count😅 But here it is! What a jump!
08/25/2026

Since Salmon appreciation day was so exciting, we had some catching up to do on the count😅 But here it is! What a jump!

Here’s our amazing lineup of donations from super cool local businesses! Come grab a raffle ticket for the chance to win...
08/21/2026

Here’s our amazing lineup of donations from super cool local businesses! Come grab a raffle ticket for the chance to win, and don’t forget to go support these awesome businesses ‌

Salmon Appreciation day is here!! Come buy some food from smashed_yxy here now until the afternoon.
08/21/2026

Salmon Appreciation day is here!! Come buy some food from smashed_yxy here now until the afternoon.

The salmon don’t quit! We’ve passed 500 now! I changed the board to include unknowns today, I hope it’s up to s***f.
08/20/2026

The salmon don’t quit! We’ve passed 500 now! I changed the board to include unknowns today, I hope it’s up to s***f.

You’ll have to put your putting skills to the test for the chance to win this gear donated by Tim Hogan disc golf! Come ...
08/19/2026

You’ll have to put your putting skills to the test for the chance to win this gear donated by Tim Hogan disc golf! Come play at Salmon Appreciation Day, THIS FRIDAY, Aug 21st.

A couple good days brings our total to a nice round 450!
08/19/2026

A couple good days brings our total to a nice round 450!

Come to Salmon Appreciation Day, Aug 21, 8:30-4:30 for the chance to win this awesome Boreal Herbal Book from Aroma Bore...
08/18/2026

Come to Salmon Appreciation Day, Aug 21, 8:30-4:30 for the chance to win this awesome Boreal Herbal Book from Aroma Borealis ‌also, we’ll have an update to the salmon count this afternoon.

Here’s the breakdown for all those curious. Feels like we just hit triple digits and now the total has broken 300! Dont ...
08/15/2026

Here’s the breakdown for all those curious. Feels like we just hit triple digits and now the total has broken 300! Dont forget, salmon appreciation day is Friday, August 21st! Hope to see you there

Our total today is 169! Our Salmon Appreciation Day is coming up, Friday, August 21. Save the date!😎
08/12/2026

Our total today is 169! Our Salmon Appreciation Day is coming up, Friday, August 21. Save the date!😎

The count continues to grow! Also, unfortunately, due to maintenance happening to the ladder, the centre will be closed ...
08/09/2026

The count continues to grow! Also, unfortunately, due to maintenance happening to the ladder, the centre will be closed to visitors from Aug 10 - Aug 14. We will be doing our best to keep the count updated during the closure. Sorry for inconveniences

Address

Nisutlin Drive
Whitehorse, YT
Y1A6S7

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