All Access to Adventurous Fishing in Alaska

Options for adventure abound in south-central Alaska. There is, of course, great fishing for salmon and trout in seemingly every waterway, and visiting anglers make spending time on the water a priority. Many also recognize that the state offers numerous other activities such as glacier trekking, jet boating, ATV or Jeep touring, flightseeing and dogsledding, along with the more typical hiking and wildlife viewing.

Considering all these opportunities, a lot of anglers don’t need or want to fly to a distant, isolated lodge and fish seven days straight. Those visiting Alaska with their spouse or other family members can blend interesting non-angling outdoor activities with excellent fishing to experience the beauty and bounty that makes Alaska a top destination. To add to the adventure, such day-trip fishing opportunities include exciting and enjoyable forms of transportation.

Day trips to very productive Alaska fisheries that are not easily accessed by land or water can be reached via helicopter. The key advantage to using a helicopter is gaining access to a much wider range of streams or isolated sections of them. Anglers can get to a variety of drainages that are seldom fished, flying into waters that range from small creeks to remote locations on big rivers.

A helicopter also affords more flexibility. Prime waters vary from one day to another depending on the timing of the salmon runs, along with stream and weather conditions. Helicopters don’t need an airstrip or even a dirt runway, and they can land in a tiny area in the middle of the best action.

Another adventurous option for accessing distant waters in Alaska’s south-central region is to drive to a secluded boat launch and step onto an extremely shallow-running jet boat.

On a couple of the prime salmon rivers, a jet drive is necessary to traverse the sand and gravel bars that sit in a foot of water and span the waterway’s width in some areas. In normal water conditions, rocky shoals pose hazards for many propeller-pushed watercrafts. Jet boats can safely carry anglers far upstream or downstream to seldom-accessed locations.

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

My wife Rosie and I experienced heli-fishing for the first time on our most recent trip to Alaska. We booked one of Crown Mountain Guides’ (crownmountainguides.com) multi-day summer fishing packages. The fly-out packages range from three to seven nights, with fully inclusive accommodations based at the Alaska Glacier Lodge near Palmer in the Chugach Mountains. Our helicopter base was adjacent to the lodge in the Knik River Valley.

Crown Mountain Guides’ heli-fishing tours access five mountain ranges and more than 100 waters, including rivers, streams, lakes and even North Pacific beaches. Anglers use spinning or fly-fishing equipment, or a combo of the two. Days can be combined with other heli-activities such as world-class bear-viewing, glacier landings, sightseeing flights and more.

We boarded our six-passenger helicopter and headed toward a remote stream with our salmon and trout guide for the day, Desi Sherwood. Desi sat in the front seat so he could look for fish and help our pilot locate the best landing spots. For us in the second row, it was an exciting hunt for a prime fishery from above, with some of the most memorable sights any angler could envision.

A couple of moose meandering along the mountainside opposite the river was an incredible visual just after takeoff. We flew 20 or 30 miles over the craggy and lush mountainous terrain to our target water, a small tributary in the Susitna drainage close to the Talkeetna Mountain Range. Skirting along the twisting creek through isolated forest, we noted a few deep pools, tumbling rapids and gravel bars that looked promising.

While our guide and pilot analyzed the water, we had exceptional views from 100 to 200 feet above the creek. We encountered a muddy creek, out of its banks, at our intended location, so we moved on to a tributary with clearer waters. Record rainfall during the previous week had shut down an already slow silver salmon run and flooded most waterways. When finding a blown-out waterway at one location, we quickly moved upstream.

Twice we hopped over to a different tributary 10 or 15 miles away. It took only 8 or 10 minutes to move on. We didn’t locate any catchable salmon that day while covering about 200 miles of terrain, so we went to Plan B and focused on rainbow trout. Rosie and I opted for fly fishing, and we caught and released a half-dozen small trout from three small, slightly stained creeks. A pouring rain that afternoon shortened our day, but it was a wonderful experience. We certainly enjoyed the unique, remote wilderness that Alaska offers. We never saw another angler!

JET-SETTING FOR SILVERS

Guide Dan Suprak has more than 20 years of fishing and guiding experience in Alaska and worked for one of the state’s premier lodges prior to establishing his Alaska Chinook Charters (alaskachinookcharters.com) seven years ago. He offers affordable half- and full-day jet-boat trips on a variety of area waters. A couple of his favorites, just 80 or 90 minutes from Anchorage, are the Deshka and Little Susitna Rivers. Dan often meets his clients at either the Deshka Landing west of Willow or at the Little Susitna River Public Use Facility ramp, also called Burma Landing. His most recent fishing successes usually dictate the waters he will fish.

A day trip can be done from a comfortable home base in Anchorage. We booked a couple of salmon-fishing days and stayed at Lakefront Anchorage Lodge. We met up with Dan and his wife Cilla to board his 24-foot jet boat at Burma Landing. The 9-foot-wide, tunnel-hull boat can run in waters as shallow as 4 inches. Such a navigation advantage was not needed on our trips in mid-August, however.

Expansive gravel bars typically seen in less than 2 feet of water were all deeply submerged. The “Little Su,” as it is called, was 3 to 4 feet high and turbid, making for challenging fishing conditions. Some silver salmon were running, along with a few chum salmon and pink salmon. Emergency orders had been issued for the river by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which dropped the daily limit on silver salmon (also known as coho) to one and required the use of artificial lures only.

The Little Su is purely snowmelt and rain runoff, and it is not influenced by milky-colored glacier waters. The river is normally clear with all gravel bars along the shallow bottom visible, according to Dan, although its color looked like coffee when we were there. The Little Su flows out of the Talkeetna Mountains and through a constricted, boulder-choked canyon before becoming a slowly meandering, shallow waterway.

Dan knows these are prime waters to locate catchable fish. The 70-year-old guide has fished about 60 miles of the Little Su from a couple of miles above the inlet to the spawning grounds upstream. He noted that the waters closest to the mouth of the inlet are often too muddy and silty to be productive. The banks are also very high, and there is a huge tidal influence to deal with.

“The Burma launch facility is positioned about 30 miles upstream from the river’s inlet, and the spawning grounds lie about 30 miles upriver from the ramp,” Dan told us as he pointed his jet boat into an eddy behind an island. “After salmon spawn, they die, so we try to intercept them on their way.

“When the water floods like this, the fish are constantly on the move straight up the river,” Dan continued. “They don’t pocket or pool at certain places in high waters. The silvers do like to hang out in softer, smooth waters, though. That’s why I parked below this island. They can get out of the fast current for a little while here and rest.”

We noticed a few fish downstream periodically coming to the surface on both sides of the boat. Rosie and I tossed out our lures and let them slowly drop back toward where we had seen the fish rise. Ten minutes later, one of the fish moving slowly upstream struck Rosie’s lure and she was hooked up. She landed a 9-pound silver. Dan repositioned the anchored boat 15 feet farther downstream. Minutes later, I landed a 12-pound, hook-jawed chum salmon. Action slowed until Dan and I landed a couple of male pink salmon, also called “humpies” because of their humpbacked form during the spawn, from a school hanging out near a shallow creek entrance. Two more silvers about 9 pounds each completed our short day.

Our second morning in the jet boat found us back on the Little Su heading the opposite direction from the ramp. The weather was again sunny, and the results were better. The four of us caught and released a couple of scrappy silvers before keeping one each. They ranged from 9 pounds up to 12 pounds and all put up a great fight. Top lures were a pink marabou Salmon Steelhead Runner and an orange-colored Mag Lip crankbait. We saw only two other boats on the water during our two action-packed mornings.

The Little Su also has rainbow trout up to 20 inches in length, according to Dan. These fish are certainly a solid backup plan when there are closures of the salmon season from emergency orders. Dan also has lake options for his clients. One is Big Lake, which has wild trout, pike and artic char in it, and another is Lake Lucille, which has stocked trout only. Loon and Seventeen Mile lakes are a couple other lakes he fishes with clients.

The experienced guide also frequents the Deshka River, which is similar to the Little Su in that its clear waters come primarily from snowmelt and rain runoff. Dan had checked it just prior to our visit, and the river was out of its banks. It was also full of debris from the heavy rains, which usually makes fishing tougher since an angler has to clear off grass and other entanglements constantly in those conditions.

Another river that Dan likes is the Knik River, specifically the Eklutna Tailrace, which is a short tributary stocked by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Dan said that because of the hatchery support, the Eklutna was one of the few rivers in 2024 where anglers were permitted to catch and keep king salmon. The half-mile long Eklutna tailrace is located approximately 34 miles northeast of Anchorage and extends from the Old Glenn Highway downstream to its confluence with the Knik River. It is a favorite fishery of local and visiting anglers.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Chris Batin is perhaps the country’s top expert on Alaska sportfishing, a valuable source of location and timing information for anyone contemplating a trip to the state. He started Alaska Angler Publications in 1975 and has authored 10 books on Alaska fishing and hunting. His Alaska Angler Information Service draws on his 50 years of Alaska fishing experience to help folks plan their fishing adventure, from do-it-yourself trips to group vacations. I’ve been friends with Chris for 35 years and consulted him on a couple of trips with great results. His assistance in helping fine-tune trip parameters is invaluable. (If you want guidance deciphering Alaska’s complex salmon runs and advice on when and where to fish, contact Chris at batinchris@gmail.com.)

Although Chris believes big-name fishing lodges are good for some anglers, they are not always the best choice when choosing an Alaska adventure. He notes that with king salmon numbers in a downward spiral in recent years, the four other Alaska salmon species are perhaps more attractive options but peak at various times depending on location. An angler who is off by 10 days can miss the peak of the run.

“Location is a primary consideration,” Chris explains. “For instance, the coho run that peaks in mid-August in the Susitna drainage won’t peak in many Gulf of Alaska coastal streams until late August to mid-September. In addition, environmental factors can delay a return, such as warm weather or numerous storms over a period of months on the high seas, as well as commercial fishing openers close to shore that can intercept in-migrating fish.”

Chris often recommends areas where there are several salmon runs that occur at different times in the same area. If one run is late, another acts as a nearby backup.

“Many lodges or outfitters located on one specific river or watershed fish only one major run of salmon,” Chris notes. “If fish are late, or several days of stormy weather prevents a flyout to a fishery, the client may have to sit at a lodge or in camp and play cards. This is why I always recommend places with a backup fishery nearby.”

Chris advises anglers to inquire about water quality and be upfront about their fishing expectations. Here, again, location plays a role.

“Lure and fly anglers do best when fishing clear intertidal or inland waters,” he says. “Anglers fishing glacial rivers—where many Alaska camps are located—must resort to using salmon eggs and bottom-bouncing tactics, because the fish can’t see flies or lures in the glacial silt.”

Bigger waters are not always better, Chris cautions. Many smaller systems that are nothing more than wadeable streams can produce hookups of 25-plus fish per day, while larger rivers may generate only a few strikes for the same amount of effort. Another plus is sight-casting visibility, an option available to anglers who can helicopter into a remote creek. For many anglers, it’s more exciting to be fishing from shore with no other anglers around than watching a dozen nearby boats fishing in glacial murk.

Alaska has no shortage of good fishing locations, though some of the best are not easy to reach through conventional means. Helicopters and jet boats open these waters to adventurous anglers while leaving time to enjoy the state’s other resources through different activities. Plan accordingly, and a week in Alaska will become much more than just another fishing trip.

Not-So-Remote Options

• Anchorage is an attractive base for fishing adventures.

There are several productive streams very close to Alaska’s largest city. Combine those with an abundance of accommodations and infrastructure, and Anchorage becomes a great base location for any Alaska fishing trip. Just keep in mind that some of the close waters are not remote and may attract crowds when salmon runs are heavy.

Anchorage lies just south of the Mat-Su Valley, named for its two primary drainages, the Matanuska and Susitna rivers. To the west is the Cook Inlet, and to the south is the Kenai Peninsula. The Talkeetna Mountains are to the north, and the majestic 5,000-foot-plus peaks of the Chugach Mountains lie to the south. It is easy to reach several exciting salmon and trout fisheries from Anchorage.

Dustin Slinker has been fishing the area for more than 20 years and knows the “urban angling” options well. For 15 years he has owned The Bait Shack (thebaitshackak.com), which sits at the edge of downtown Anchorage on the north bank of Ship Creek. Ship Creek usually has a king salmon run starting about mid-May and going strong through mid-July, according to Dustin.

“It is not uncommon to catch a king up to 16 or 18 pounds within sight of high-rise buildings,” he says. “After that, the coho salmon normally show up in the northern Cook Inlet watersheds in southcentral Alaska. The silver bullets then bring a lot more opportunities for anglers in the area.”

A couple of productive wild fisheries north of Anchorage are Fish Creek and Jims Creek. The William Jack Hernandez Fish Hatchery not only stocks cohos into the Eklutna but does the same for Ship Creek, Campbell Creek, which flows through a city-wide greenbelt, and Bird Creek. All are in the Anchorage Bowl.

“A few other productive waters down the Turnagain Arm about 40 minutes southeast of town are Twentymile River and Glacier, Ingram and Overflow creeks,” Dustin notes. “There are more than 100 small lakes in southcentral Alaska holding stocked and wild fish. Trout and northern pike are found in most and arctic grayling swim in some. Several landlocked lakes in the Anchorage area, such as Jewel, DeLong and Cheney offer good spring and fall rainbow trout action for stocked fish that run 8 or 9 inches long.”

Daily Distractions

• It can be difficult to focus on the fish in Alaska.

There are many awesome activities to explore in southcentral Alaska when you want a break from being on the water battling fish. My wife and I were amazed by the Knik Glacier Tour offered by Alaska Helicopter Tours (alaskahelicoptertours.com). The heli flight, landing and short hike with appropriate shoe cleats is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our tour included a landing next to one of the glacier’s massive, brilliant blue melt pools near deep-winding crevasses.

Alaska Helicopter Tours has been flying the Alaska skies for 40 years, and the experienced pilot-guides do 30 to 40 trips a day from the helicopter base at the Alaska Glacier Lodge. The convenient lodge has 22 cozy cabins and the Raven’s Perch Bar & Grill. Both the restaurant and the lodge have exceptional views of the surrounding mountains and valley. If you visit Raven’s Perch, order the bison burger and seasoned fries.

An interesting jet-boat adventure is the 2-hour wilderness excursion by Mahay’s Jet Boat Adventures (mahaysjetboat.com) out of Talkeetna. The 20-mile-long cruise on the Big Susitna River offers views of Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, and the Alaskan Range. It includes a short nature walk with a naturalist to the Dena’ina encampment. These native Alaskans were the earliest settlers in the area. The walk also highlights an authentic trapper’s bush cabin.

Anchorage has accommodations, restaurants and other attractions for visitors. The Lakefront Anchorage Hotel (millenniumhotels.com) on Lake Hood is a perfect place for outdoor-loving people. It has a large foyer full of fish and big-game mounts. Outside, the Flying Machine Restaurant patio overlooks the lake that has more float-plane traffic than any other place in the world. It’s always fun to watch the planes come and go.

Downtown, about 10 minutes away, check out the crab-stuffed halibut at the Glacier Brew House and the yak burger at 49th State Brewing. While there, swing by the Anchorage Museum (anchoragemuseum.org), a first-class facility with galleries of native artifacts, Smithsonian Arctic Studies and full-sized replicas of native dwellings.

A 40-minute drive south puts visitors at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (alaskawildlife.org), a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to preserving the state’s wildlife through conservation, education, research and quality animal care. There is a 1 1/2-mile walking and driving loop that passes resident brown and black bears, moose, caribou, elk, muskox, reindeer, bison and other smaller animals that roam in large, partitioned natural environments. The experience is much better than the typical zoo.

For more information on activities in south-central Alaska, contact Visit Anchorage at anchorage.net and the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau at alaskavisit.com.

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• This article was featured in the March 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe

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