ALASKA'S NEWSPAPER

| Updated: 2:34 AM

Alaska Fishing Report

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Salmon fishing winds down as trout picks up

Salmon fishing is petering out, although chums, pinks and silvers are still spawning in the rivers. The guys at Mountain View Sports Center in Anchorage report that rainbow fishing in the Mat-Su has been good lately. Water conditions in the Parks Highway streams are excellent. They suggest trying small sculpins or egg patterns. We would add that this time of year you always want to have a variety of flesh flies -- pink, ginger, off-white -- with you as well.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Kenai great for rainbows and dollies

The Kenai River is fishing great right now. Try using beads and flesh patterns for rainbows and dollies. The upper is fishing particularly well for trout. Coho are still being caught in the lower Kenai River. Anglers fishing for silvers are having the best success using plugs.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

This week should be hot for trout

Trout fishing is improving everywhere -- at least in any stream or river that isn't too high or too muddy. As a rule, streams that come out of lakes aren't susceptible to big fluctuations like the streams without lakes upstream.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Chums, pinks crowd Parks Highway streams

Fishing for chums and pinks along the Parks Highway has been great, according to the guys at Mountain View Sports Center in Anchorage. The water has come down and cleared up.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Rain has dampened fishermen's success

All this rain hasn't been great for the sport fishing tribe, although it may be good news for the fish. Streams are high and off-color, which isn't the worst thing if you're a silver salmon coming in out of saltwater, but it certainly makes life tougher for anglers.

FISHING REPORT

Mat-Su streams hot for silvers, pinks, chums

The folks at Mountain View Sports Center in Anchorage report that Mat-Su streams are fishing great for silvers, pinks and chums. The lower stretches of Willow and Montana creeks are the best options, with No. 4 Vibrax being the lure of choice. If you're a fly-fisher, try egg-sucking leeches, bunny leeches or popsicle patterns.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Kenai red salmon fishing is great

Sockeye fishing on the Kenai Peninsula is fantastic. The fish are still thick in the lower Kenai River and up through Soldotna. The Russian River should see a surge of bright sockeye by the weekend.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Big news is the rush of reds into the Kenai River

The second run sockeyes have hit the lower Kenai in historic numbers. Personal use dipnetters on the Lower Kenai have been having some banner days in the last week. Fish and Game raised the limit to six fish a day by rod and reel for the lower and middle river starting today.

FISHING REPORT

Ocean fishing's been on fire

Ocean fishing for halibut, ling cod and rockfish has been on fire. Homer, Seward and Whittier are all popular points of departure. Silver and pink salmon are being caught in Prince William Sound, so don't forget your jigs, circle hooks, hoochies and herring.

FISHING REPORT

Gulkana River producing salmon, trout, grayling

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.

FISHING REPORT

Susitna Valley streams hot for king salmon this week

Fishing for kings last weekend was good at all the Parks Highway streams, with Willow, Sheep and Montana fishing better than the weekend before. One fish went 64 pounds on a hand scale and several others were likely more than 40 pounds. Good numbers of 30- to 35-pound kings were caught

FISHING REPORT

Fishing for reds is hot in the Russian River

Last weekend brought great numbers of sockeye into the Kenai and Russian rivers. Fishing was great early in the week, but the numbers and concentration of sockeyes between Skilak Lake and the Russian River Ferry declined over the past two days.

Kenai fishermen ordered out of woods because of bears

FISHING REPORT

Reds in Russian River; kings in major streams

The sockeyes have arrived and are being caught at the Russian River. Obey the regulations and watch the ferry times. Don't get stuck across the river after 11 p.m. if you aren't prepared to stay until 6 a.m.

FISHING REPORT

Upper Kenai River opens for red salmon Saturday

Here is the quick look at the fishing prospects this week, from Alaska Troutfitters in Cooper Landing: Get your waders and nets ready. The Upper Kenai River and its tributaries open for the season Saturday.

Holiday weekend anglers should head south

Anchorage angler Phillip Moreno flipped his rig into the murky waters of Ship Creek at midday Wednesday, fully aware that any hope of hooking an early king salmon nosing upriver was fleeting at best.

King salmon slowly arriving

Snow shoveling is over. Outdoor projects delayed by winter are done. Finally, Alaska anglers can utter the words they've waited months and months to say. King salmon are back.

Begin the season fishing hooligan, king salmon

May is a yin-and-yang month for Alaska anglers. Yin are the silvery schools of small hooligan that flood Cook Inlet, bound for their spawning grounds in fresh water.

Take advantage of fishes' fall gluttony

Labor Day weekend harkens the beginning of the end for Southcentral anglers.

'A fish like no other'

You'll find it among fishing books at bookstores. But Cecilia "Pudge" Kleinkauf's third fishing title, "Fly-Fishing For Alaska's Arctic Grayling -- Sailfish of the North" -- is more an ode to a fish that reaches trophy status at three pounds than any run-of-the-mill how-to fishing book.

ALASKA FISHING

Silver salmon derby opens Saturday in Seward

The 55th annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby gets under way at 6 a.m. Saturday. Here's what to expect.

ALASKA FISHING REPORT

Salmon fishing winds down as trout picks up

Salmon fishing is petering out, although chums, pinks and silvers are still spawning in the rivers. The guys at Mountain View Sports Center in Anchorage report that rainbow fishing in the Mat-Su has been good lately. Water conditions in the Parks Highway streams are excellent. They suggest trying small sculpins or egg patterns. We would add that this time of year you always want to have a variety of flesh flies -- pink, ginger, off-white -- with you as well.

BLOG

Alaska sportfishing

Check here for the latest sportfishing-related news releases, emergency closures, catch limit and regulation changes.

Fish Creek Dipnetting

Wes Hudson cleans a salmon on the bank of Fish Creek while salmon dipnet fishing at Fish Creek off of Knik-Goose Bay Road in the Valley on Friday, July 29, 2011.

Salmon dipnetting at Fish Creek in the Valley.

Kenai River Dipnetting 2011

A dipper works on another fish that was pulled out of the Kenai River Monday, July 18, 2011. Dipnetters caught hundreds of fish this last weekend at the Kenai.

Kenai River dipnetters hit the mother lode over the third weekend of July, 2011.

Ship Creek fishing

While anglers flock in groves to the Kenai Peninsual for salmon fishing this week, Ship Creek in downtown Anchorage continues to supply large hauls.

Grilling your salmon

Now that you've gone through the hard work of catching that sweet salmon, make sure you prepare the right way.


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VIDEO

Dipnetting in the Kenai

The summer run of sockeye salmon brings out the dipnet crowd.

VIDEO

Fishing the Deska River

Pulling in king salmon on the Deshka river on sunny July day.

VIDEO

Ship Creek Slam'n Salm'n Derby

Derby champion Tom Salow talks about winning the popular downtown Anchorage event in 2007.

VIDEO

How-to filet a king

Watch and learn in detail how to filet a king salmon.

Anchorage -- (907) 267-2510
Palmer -- (907) 746-6300
Soldotna -- (907) 262-2737
Homer -- (907) 235-6930
Kodiak – (907) 486-5176

Fairbanks -- (907) 459-7385

Anchorage -- (907) 267-2512
Kenai/Kasilof Fish Counts -- (907) 262-9097

Fairbanks -- (907) 459-7382
Glennallen -- (907) 822-5224

Ketchikan -- (907) 225-0475
Juneau -- (907) 465-4116
Haines -- (907) 766-2625