Alaska: When To Go

Maybe the most common question I’ve been asked pertaining to Alaska fishing trips is “when is the best time to come?” Frankly, the best and most truthful answer I can give is whenever you can come up between late April and mid October. Obviously, this is a vague answer and can be narrowed down by which species you want to catch and where you want to go. But, within this time span somewhere in the state there is some awesome fishing going on. So the first thing to consider is what fits your work and life schedule best. After that try to choose what species you want to target. For example, spring steelhead peak in late April while fall steelhead peak in mid October. Rainbow trout and Char can be targeted all summer and fall but the peak fishing times are usually early summer and fall. King salmon run anywhere from late may until mid July. Sockeye salmon run anywhere from late may until mid July. Silver salmon run anywhere from early august until late September. After you choose what species go ahead and pick some locations. This will help you to find the time that is best for you, especially if you are targeting salmon because they can run at different times in different places. For example, Bristol Bay silver salmon start running in late July and peak in mid August while on Kodiak Island the silver salmon start running in late august and peaking in mid September. Some Alaska locations even have two separate runs. The Kenai River has two king salmon runs one from mid may until early June and another run in July. Interestingly, the majority of trophy king salmon are landed during the July run. Another thing to consider is what else you want to see during your Alaska fishing trip. A prime example is bears which are much more concentrated on the rivers during the salmon run, especially during the sockeye salmon run on smaller rivers. If you have an interest in seeing eagles, anytime up here is a good time but the fall season is particularly great for eagle spotting as millions of salmon carcasses wash up on the lake and river banks providing a feast for the birds. Weather is a factor that can play a part for even the most die hard fisherman. However it most affects the fisherman not accustomed to cold weather fishing or who are not enthusiastic about fishing. October is especially in cold and windy. July and August are typically the warmest and driest months in Alaska.