Fishing

From Alaska Outdoors Wiki

Contents 1 An Introduction 2 Southeast Alaska 3 Southcentral Alaska 4 Southwest Alaska 5 Interior, Arctic and Western Alaska 6 Alaska's fish 7 Alaska Fishing Information Resources 8 Preserving the Catch

An Introduction

Angling in Alaska can be incredible. Salmon runs are strong along our coasts, and there really are some giant halibut in Alaska waters. King salmon over 50 pounds are not at all uncommon. Grayling and northern pike are easy to catch in many inland streams.

And you can fish amid some of the most incredible wilderness scenery on the continent.

To be sure, it’s not perfect. The productivity of most Alaska streams is not high in comparison with those in warmer climes. This means that some heavily fished streams do not quickly produce many large fish, particularly in the Interior. Large salmon runs compensate in many streams, however.

For this introduction, we have divided the state into several regions.

Southeast Alaska

Southeast Alaska, sometimes called the "panhandle," is a land of deep fjords, rushing mountain streams and glaciers. Much of the land is in the Tongass National Forest. Summers are cool and moist; winters are cooler and snowy, but much less cold than portions of Alaska not warmed by the ocean. Salmon return in large numbers to thousands of streams. Halibut move into near shore waters in the summer. Several species of trout are available. A variety of bottom fish can be caught. Shrimp and crab can be found in some waters.

Ketchikan area - Prince of Wales area - Wrangell area

Southcentral Alaska

Southcentral Alaska is home to most of the state’s population and some of the state’s most famous fishing areas. It includes coastal waters and watersheds from just east of the Copper River to Bristol Bay. Southcentral is a varied land and seascape. Trees cover much of the terrain east and north of Cook Inlet but are more sporadic or largely absent to the west. Mountains or rolling hills dominate the view in much of the area. The continent’s tallest mountain, McKinley (or Denali) is the tallest of many sentinel peaks along the divide between this region and the watersheds to the north and west.

Summers range from cool and moist along the coast to warm and dry further inland. Salmon runs flood coastal waters and the larger rivers. Halibut can be caught in most coastal areas, along with other ocean fish. Trout, pike, grayling, Dolly Varden, burbot, whitefish and other species are year-round residents in many watersheds.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Southcentral Region Home

Southwest Alaska

Southwest Alaska

Interior, Arctic and Western Alaska

The Kuskokwim, Tanana, and Yukon rivers drain most of Interior Alaska and empty into the Bering Sea. In northwest Alaska the Kobuk and Noatak rivers are primary drainages and empty into the Chukchi Sea. The Colville, Meade and Kokolik Rivers are the primary drainages north of the Brooks range and empty into the Arctic Ocean. Northwestern and Arctic Alaska is sparsely tree covered. Except for alpine and sub-alpine areas, most of the Interior is covered by trees that comprise the cimcumpolar "boreal forest." Distinct mountain ranges, rolling hills and wide river valleys and flats are the dominant landscape features of the interior. Summers along the coast are cool, and warm in the Interior. Salmon make long distance migrations up the Kuskokwim, Tanana, and Yukon rivers. Grayling are perhaps most widespread, but trout, pike, burbot, char, and sheefish are widely distributed.

Alaska's fish

Salmon (Oncorhynchus):

Chinook aka King (O. tshawytscha)

Sockeye aka Red (O. nerka)

Coho aka Silver (O. kisutch)

Pink aka Humpy (O. gorbuscha)

Chum (O. dogfiss)

Steelhead aka Rainbow Trout (O. mykiss)

Shee aka Iconnu, tarpon of the North (O. mygoodness)

Non Salmonoidea:

Pike

Burbot

Grayling

Char

Lake Trout

Dolly Varden

White fish aka Buffalo

Halibut

Ling Cod

Tom Cod

Rock Fish

& Many many more!

Alaska Fishing Information Resources

• Alaska Fishing Forums
• Fishing and River Topics
• Alaska Outdoor Journal
• Sport Fish Division, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

Preserving the Catch

• Freezing
• Smoking