Fishing in Alaska

Famous for its epic salmon runs, Alaska also boasts a wide variety of other fish. Here in the Last Frontier, rivers are still pristine, fish are still plentiful, and the scenery is amazing. Whether you’re reeling in halibut in Larsen Bay, hooking a big silver salmon on the Kenai River, or fighting a big rainbow on Kodiak Island, Alaska will make your wildest fishing dreams come true. As a bonus wilderness experience, you may fish alongside wildlife such as bears, moose, and bald eagles.

Peak season for salmon fishing in Alaska occurs from May through September, with the five major species running at different times during this period. King salmon fishing begins in May, and silver salmon run as late as November. So any time you visit in summer, you should be able to find some sort of salmon fishing, and summer is a good time to target other species, both on backcountry rivers and offshore, as well.

The list of fish you can catch in Alaska is long and reads like an angler’s bucket list. First and foremost, the state is famous for its epic salmon runs: chinook (king), silver (coho), chum, pink, and sockeye (red) salmon. Then there are rainbow trout, Dolly Varden char, Arctic char, and Arctic grayling. Northern pike and burbot can be found in many lakes. In the bays and offshore, a veritable feast of fish awaits: halibut, ling cod, and numerous species of rockfish.

Just about whatever type of fishing you enjoy, you can do it in Alaska. Charter boats will take you offshore and inshore for saltwater species, or bring your beach chair and sand spike and spend a day surf fishing. Flyfishing and spinfishing, whether wading or from a drift boat or power boat, are the way to go on inland lakes and streams. Try a backcountry fly-in or float trip for the full Alaska wilderness experience. And if you’re rugged enough to visit Alaska in the winter, you can book a guided ice fishing trip from December through March.