Schwatka Lake, lake in Yukon, Canada

Schwatka Lake is a reservoir created on the Yukon River in Whitehorse when a dam was built in 1958, covering about 15 hectares with calm, open water. The shoreline is lined with forest, and the day-use area features a boat launch, floating dock, picnic tables, and walking trails that circle the water.

The reservoir was formed in 1958 when a hydroelectric dam was completed on the Yukon River at Whitehorse, submerging the Whitehorse Rapids that had given the city its name. The dam is operated by the Yukon Energy Corporation. The lake was named after Frederick Schwatka, a US Army lieutenant who was the first to explore the full length of the Yukon River.

The reservoir is named after Frederick Schwatka, the US Army lieutenant who led the first expedition along the full length of the Yukon River. The lake also submerged the Whitehorse Rapids, the feature that gave the city its name. Today the fish ladder draws visitors who watch Chinook salmon pass the dam.

The lake is easily accessible from Whitehorse via Chadburn Lake Road and offers a large gravel parking area with marked access to picnic spots and boat launches. The road surface can be rough in wet conditions, so visitors should drive carefully and take extra care when roads are muddy.

A fish ladder around the dam helps Chinook salmon swim upstream to their spawning grounds after traveling over 3,000 kilometers from the sea. Additionally, floatplanes from the Whitehorse Water Aerodrome use the calm water as a landing and take-off point for passenger and supply flights.