Alaska News

Gulkana River producing salmon, trout, grayling

Here is a quick look at the fishing prospects this week, from the crew at Mountain View Sports Center in Anchorage:

If you're up for a peaceful road trip to the interior, the Gulkana River is fishing great. Grayling, rainbows and kings can all be caught in a day, so bring all your fishing gear.

Halibut fishing also has been superb. Fisheries out of Whittier, Seward and Homer are all producing, with limits very common. Lingcod season has also kicked off. Try large jigs around rocky areas. This should be a good weekend to fill the freezer.

Rainbow fishing in the Susitna valley remains good. Try small sculpin patterns or Dolly Llamas in Willow, Sheep or Montana creeks. Clear Creek is a good bet; it's the last weekend for kings at this remote fishery. Rainbows can also be had at Kepler-Bradley lake system; all you need is a canoe or float tube.

Campbell, Point and Jewel lakes are good options for dry fly action around Anchorage. For a more remote experience, try Symphony Lake. Symphony is next to Eagle Lake, a six-mike hike back into the valley from the end of Hiland Road. It offers some nice grayling fishing. Dry flies and nymphs work well at Symphony.

From Alaska Troutfitters in Cooper Landing:

Trout fishing on the Kenai and Russian rivers remains productive for more experienced anglers. The water level on the Kenai has come up, and that washed more salmon carcasses into the water, which has helped to increase the amount of food in the water. The Kenai remains unusually clear and the fish are spooky. Dry flies and nymphs have worked well.

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Anglers should keep in mind that the peninsula has many stocked lakes that fish well but are often overlooked.

The second runs of sockeyes haven't been spotted in any numbers yet. We hope to see them here in a few weeks.

The Daily News fishing report is published each Thursday. For the latest and most comprehensive information every day, check the links on adn.com/outdoors/sportfishing. In addition to reports from Department of Fish and Game biologists across the state, you will find lots of photos in the Nice Catch galleries, links to current weather, river and stream flows, tide charts, fish counts, salmon run timing, fishing derbies across the state and how-to videos. You can also buy a fishing license online, check the regulations, read a blog with the latest fishery closures and emergency orders, and sign up for our fishing newsletter email.

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Anchorage Daily News

sports@adn.com

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