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Fishing in Interior Alaska
Interior Alaska, the only major region of Alaska lacking a coastline, does
have many lakes and rivers well stocked by nature with game fish.
While many streams and lakes are not accessible by road, many more are
accessible by "bush" plane. Here are some favorite spots you might want to try:
Fishing Spots
 | Brushkana Creek, about 30 miles from the western end of the Denali
Highway, The Bureau of Land Management maintains a campground where the creek
crosses the road.
 | Grayling |
| Dolly Varden. |
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| Yukon River drainage
| King and chum salmon (some go all the way to Canada. |
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| Southcentral Alaska's Copper River
| Red salmon move through into the Gulkana River, a national wild river,
where boaters enjoy one of the state's finest fisheries. |
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| Yukon and its tributaries
| Salmon fishing here used to be extremely
important to the subsistence lifestyle. Visitors driving along the Parks
Highway through Nenana could often see fish wheels along the banks of the
Tanana River. But the Yukon runs have dropped drastically in recent
years. Sport, commercial, and even subsistence fishing have all been
curtailed. |
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| Most streams and many lakes
| Arctic grayling, perhaps the most commonly found fish in the Interior,
has replaced salmon for many sport anglers. They are abundant and easy to
catch. |
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| The streams and small lakes -- especially the Tangle Lakes -- along the
Denali Highway, which crosses the southern edge of the Interior.
| Grayling |
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| Many lakes and in some rivers.
| Northern pike, a highly predatory species. Their diet includes smaller
fish and small waterfowl, and their ravenous appetites make them fair game
for spoon or spinner. |
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| Cold lakes, such as Summit Lake north of Paxson and Wonder Lake in Denali
National Park
| Lake trout |
| Burbot |
| Sheefish |
| Whitefish. |
As mentioned above, planes are often employed to reach remote lakes, but
good fishing is available along the road system. Hiring a guide (from $100 a
day to $5,000 a week) may increase your chance of catching the big one, as
well as make a remote wilderness trip safer for you.
Click here for the latest Alaska Fish and Game Department fishing
information. |
Books:
| Tony Route's
| "Flyfishing Alaska" is a standard reference, and his |
| "Flies for Alaska: A Guide to Buying & Tying". |
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| Rene Limeres, Gunnar Pedersen
| "Alaska Fishing" |
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| Ken Marsh
| "Breakfast at Trout's Place: The Seasons of an Alaskan Flyfisher" |
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| "The Milepost" the Alaska Highway magazine, points out fishing spots
as well. |
Videos: (none really concern Interior fishing, however)
| "Alaska River Fishing" |
| "Fish Alaska VHS" |
| "Fly Fishing Video Magazine Vol. 52 Katmai Alaska Silvers" |
| "Fly Fishing Video Magazine Vol. 53 Katmai Alaska Rainbows" |
Note: all four of these are available either locally or on Amazon.com.
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