Alaska Fishing

ALASKA FISHING SEASON

Our fishing season begins in late April for Alaska Rainbow Trout, followed by Alaska King Salmon fishing which begins in mid-May. When the Alaska King Salmon fishing season closes on July 13th, the Alaska Silver Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Chum Salmon and Pink Salmon fishing is coming into full swing. The salmon fishing season runs well into September, here in South Central Alaska, and is followed by trout fishing. Trout Fishing is great until freeze-up, in early to mid October.

The largest fish we boated, last season, was a monster Alaska King Salmon caught on the Talkeetna River weighing in at 68 pounds, 9 ounces which is believed to be the largest King Salmon boated in the Mat-Su Valley, in 2009. Unfortunately the proud angler had not signed up for the Mat-Su King Salmon Derby and the prize was taken by a 57 pound King Salmon for a $10,000 cash prize! So don't forget your King Salmon Derby ticket when you fish for the Alaska King Salmon with us in 2010!! You can buy them in Wasilla, Alaska at Three Rivers Fly Shop.

HOW MANY FISH??!

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game set up the weir and started monitoring the Alaska Salmon, on the Deshka River in South Central Alaska, just north of Anchorage in the heart of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley (Mat-Su Valley), at 11:00 am on May 29, 2009 which is one of the earliest counts for the Alaska King Salmon.

They counted a good number of Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) at 11,960! They also counted Alaska Silver Salmon(Coho Salmon) at 27,348, before pulling the weir from the cold water on September 8th. This Alaska Silver Salmon count shattered all escapement records, in the history of the Alaska Matanuska-Susitna Valley’s Deshka River. The Alaska Pink Salmon (Humpback Salmon) numbered 9,954.

Though no count is taken for Rainbow Trout, the trout fishing on the Deshka River was phenomenal, as they spent their autumn days feeding on the eggs of the Pink Salmon, Silver Salmon and King Salmon that had spawned their way up Mat-Su’s infamous Deshka River. Alaska Fish and Game also counted Alaska Salmon on the Matanuska-Susitna Valley’s (Mat-Su Valley’s) Little Susitna River, from August 4th through September 24th. As always the weir was not in place on the Little Su until after the Alaska King Salmon run, there is no official count. However, there was a very solid run of Alaska King Salmon with many large fish caught.

An escapement of 9,523 Alaska Silver Salmon (Coho Salmon) passed through the weir on the Little Su north of the launch, at our Homestead here in Houston, Alaska. The Chum Salmon (Dog Salmon) run was quite light in 2009, as was the run of Pink Salmon. Although the Alaska Sockeye Salmon run on the Little Susitna River just north of Wasilla, Alaska doesn't migrate far enough north to reach the weir and be counted, it was a solid run.

Unfortunately there is no count taken on the Talkeetna River. However, there was a very strong run of Alaska King Salmon and we were able to limit out almost every trip. The Chum Salmon and Pink Salmon came in in large numbers, as usual, and though not the best eating fish, they are super fun to fight. The Sockeye Salmon run was also generous and we had a large number of clients leaving the river banks with full coolers and sore arms!

Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game also counted 83,480 Alaska Sockeye Salmon (Red Salmon) at there weir site on Fish Creek near Anchorage and Wasilla, Alaska. They also counted, in Fish Creek, 8,214 Alaska Coho Salmon (Silver Salmon).