If you’ve never taken an Alaska fishing vacation, then you don’t know what you’re missing! You don’t have to be an angler to enjoy the vast Alaskan wilderness or the opportunities that Alaska offers visitors from around the world. While fishing in Alaska draws millions of visitors every spring, summer and fall, there’s more to the Last Frontier than that. Alaska is dotted with thousands of square miles of lakes, rivers, streams and tributaries that offer fishermen just about any kind of fish they want to hook. Most come to Alaska for the salmon, but just as many enjoy fishing for trout, pike and halibut. Still others come to enjoy wilderness that is unsurpassed when it comes to magnitude, beauty and unspoiled miles of mountain ranges, valleys and gorges.
Visitors to Alaska don’t have to rough it, but you can if you want to. Hundreds of lodges and resorts offer world-class treatment, dining, spas and luxuries that you wouldn’t think possible way up in the land of the Midnight Sun. However, if roughing it is what you’re after, then you’ve certainly come to the right place. Millions of acres within Alaskan borders provide fishermen, hunters and vacationers the opportunity to hike, bike, 4-wheel, and horseback ride to their heart’s content. Fishing is unsurpassed and can be done from a streambed to a raging shoreline to a tributary off the ocean waters as salmon in the millions make their yearly runs upstream.
Most rivers in western Alaska are famous for their king salmon, which can weigh in at a whopping 100 pounds! Try asking for that fish sandwich at your local fast food restaurant! The best king salmon fishing to be found in Alaska is between May and July, and can be achieved through various methods such as trolling and drifting, as well as back bouncing. Salt-water fishing along the Alaskan coast can be enjoyed all year round.
Fly fishermen usually come to Alaska to catch the silver salmon, which are known for their ability to outwit their opponents and provide daily enjoyment for anglers of all skill levels. Fly-fishing for silver salmon can also be enjoyed year round. The rugged beauty of the Alaskan wilderness provides immense attraction to fishermen who long to seek new fishing spots or to try something entirely different in their fishing skills. Whether you want to fly fish or spin cast, Alaska has something for you. Inland waters provide a wealth of other fish varieties besides salmon, including but not limited to halibut, but several varieties of trout, including rainbow, cutthroat, steelhead and brook. Inland bays and freshwater streams offer plenty of opportunities and locations to fish for just about anything.
No other place in the world quite compares to the coastline and interior of the great state of Alaska. While inland waterways and lakes are protected from the ocean, storms often cause rough waters just about everywhere, and in winter provide harsh environments to test the mettle of ice fishermen who brave the cold to try their hand at that as well. No matter what kind of fish you’re looking for, or how you want to catch them, Alaska will offer more than you ever dreamed when it comes to fishing.
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