Alaskans appropriately name the Chinook salmon “King” because of its enormous size and strength. These fish will challenge even the expert angler with their brute strength. The Kings are the smallest in numbers of the five species of salmon to return to their spawning grounds each year. A one or two fish day is an excellent day for many guides and lodges that fish for these fish. But not for us at the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge. We fish the largest King salmon run in the world! Period. We fish rivers where anglers will typically catch 10 – 20 fish a day in the thirty-pound class. This makes for some very tired arms and shoulders at the end of the day. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game bag limit is a total of four King salmon taken from this drainage. And as always we encourage catch-and-release.
Techniques for catching Alaska King Salmon
Conventional gear – We want you to fish the way you like to fish and our guides are experts in all manners of fishing. Drifting with bait or back drifting or “Plugging” is a very effective technique that produces many fish.
Fly Fishing or Spey Fishing – The rivers that we fish these Kings on are big water. Therefore, your chances of hooking into a King on the fly are improved by drifting in our boats. We do have clients that catch fish from the bank every year.
Best dates: June 15 through July 31
Other fish at these times: Rainbow Trout June 8 – June 28; Sockeye Salmon June 28 – July 20; Chum Salmon July 15 – August 15; Pike, Arctic Grayling.
