Personal blog about states
A Guide to Salmon Viewing in Alaska Ship Creek Anchorage. Running through the heart of downtown Anchorage, Ship Creek flows from the Chugach Mountains into Cook Inlet by the Port and is the world’s only king salmon fishery. Katmai National Park. Kenai and Kasilof Rivers. Ketchikan Creek & Falls. Russian River Campground.
The best time to travel to Alaska for fishing tends to be in the summer months of June, July, and August for peak season . During these months you can catch the end of the King Salmon season , and peak times for Silver, Red, Pink and Chum Salmon.
Peak season for salmon fishing occurs from May through September, with the five major salmon species spread throughout the season . The best fishing time for King Salmon starts in May, and you can fish for Silver Salmon all through November.
Pink salmon only spawn every two years , and those years happen to be the even numbered calendar year . So get on the water during even years because you will not see the adults in the rivers for another two.
Kenai River
Fishes in general, including salmon , do not taste good after spawning , mainly because they do not have much fat. Not all fish will die after spawning , though wild salmons die, mainly from exhaustion and not feeding. To eat them after death is your personal preference.
Licenses, Stamps, and Tags
RESIDENT FISHING & HUNTING LICENSES | |
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PRICES | |
Resident Annual Sport Fishing License | $29.00 |
Resident Annual Sport Fishing and Hunting License | $69.00 |
Resident Annual Sport Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping License | $94.00 |
summer
No size limit: 10 per day, 10 in possession. Alaska residents: No size limit: 4 per day, 4 in possession. Nonresidents: No size limit: 4 per day, 4 in possession.
Salmon simply do not change their diets, they are a predatory species. They will attack–rip your arm off attack certain lures during certain stages of their migrations.
Trout bite most during feeding time , when mosquitoes and bugs are most active, so the best fishing times are in the warmer seasons. In summer, the best times of day to fish are early morning and late evening. In the spring and fall, it’s best to go out around dusk.
Salmon eggs
Pink salmon return to spawn every two years . The parents of this year’s fish returned in low numbers. Those fish also spawned during a long-term drought which may have impacted the 2020 returns. Catches of king salmon are the closest, just 14 percent off the pace from 2019.
Pink salmon is inexpensive ; red salmon costs more. When red and pink salmon are pulled fresh from the sea their flesh is, in fact, distinctly red or pink . The cooking process of canning reduces coloration in both. Red salmon gets its enhanced color from eating krill, a type of small shrimp.
While they’re relatively small size makes them less popular with sport anglers than other salmon species, pink salmon are excellent fish to catch. Pink salmon are also very good to eat when caught in the ocean, or just returning to spawn. Their pale flesh has a mild taste and excellent texture.