Fishing in Alaska
If you're visiting Alaska and hoping to get in some fishing, or coming to Alaska to fish and looking for some insight, you've come to the right place! For this page, I've enlisted the help of my husband Tyler - the person who seemingly knows all things fishing. Tyler and I have also listed some best practices below to ensure you have the best experience while fishing in Alaska. |
1. Your Fishing License : Both residents and nonresidents will need to get a fishing license before they do any kind of fishing in Alaska. Alaska resident licenses currently cost $20 per year and you will need to show proof of residency in Alaska for a minimum of one year at purchase. A nonresident license starts at $15 per day, with multi-day options as well as full year options. An important note is that if you plan on fishing for King (Chinook) Salmon, then you will also need to purchase a King Stamp in addition to your license. Licenses can be bought at bait stores, or places like Cabelas or Bass Pro Shops in Anchorage. This license is good for fishing in any lakes, rivers, and the ocean in Alaska.
2. Fisher-person Etiquette : During peak salmon runs there will often be many people fishing the same spots in the rivers. It is important to be respectful to everyone around you by giving them enough space, especially if they are there first (in addition to being a safety issue). We always ask the people that are already there if it is okay for us to fish near them before jumping in the line. It is also important to note that when someone catches one it may run a little ways down river, so it's good practice to reel in your line if the fish is coming near your spot, and wait to cast again until the person catches (or loses) their fish. Most people in Alaska are very nice and want to help teach you techniques they have, so if you have any questions feel free to ask them and more often than not they'll be more than willing to help you out.
3. Keeping and Transporting Fish : In Alaska the most common fish you can catch is salmon. If you're planning to keep any fish, it's important to check the Alaska fish and game website before heading. Here you can find the exact limits of fish you can keep on each river, stream, or lake, especially later in the season when limits can be increased. If you're visiting Alaska and want to bring your catch home with you, the most common way to do this is fillet and freeze your fish after your day out fishing. Most Airbnb's near the salmon rivers will have a freezer on site, and most public parks have places to fillet your fish. After the fish are frozen you can buy an insulated box from most grocery stores like Walmart to package your fish in and subsequently either ship them home or bring them home as a "carry on" item. Although it's much cheaper to do this process on your own, if you don't know where to start there are also places that will process your catch for you.
4. Review Bear Safety : Just like when you're hiking, the chances of running into a bear while out on a trail are pretty good, especially if it's near any of the rivers or lakes that are experiencing a salmon run. I highly recommend you review bear safety tips of what to do when you encounter a black bear vs. a brown bear, as well as have a bear deterrent on you. You can read my full list of where to rent bear spray here, however if you're planning to stay near some of the busier fishing spots chances are someone else will have some on them and you won't necessarily need to have some yourself.
5. Follow Leave No Trace Principles : This is a general rule to follow anytime you're heading out to enjoy the great outdoors. You can see the entire list of all 7 principles here, but generally speaking you want to leave the outdoors just how you found it, with no trace that you or anyone in your group was ever there - this includes fishing line, tackle, and any other gear.
2. Fisher-person Etiquette : During peak salmon runs there will often be many people fishing the same spots in the rivers. It is important to be respectful to everyone around you by giving them enough space, especially if they are there first (in addition to being a safety issue). We always ask the people that are already there if it is okay for us to fish near them before jumping in the line. It is also important to note that when someone catches one it may run a little ways down river, so it's good practice to reel in your line if the fish is coming near your spot, and wait to cast again until the person catches (or loses) their fish. Most people in Alaska are very nice and want to help teach you techniques they have, so if you have any questions feel free to ask them and more often than not they'll be more than willing to help you out.
3. Keeping and Transporting Fish : In Alaska the most common fish you can catch is salmon. If you're planning to keep any fish, it's important to check the Alaska fish and game website before heading. Here you can find the exact limits of fish you can keep on each river, stream, or lake, especially later in the season when limits can be increased. If you're visiting Alaska and want to bring your catch home with you, the most common way to do this is fillet and freeze your fish after your day out fishing. Most Airbnb's near the salmon rivers will have a freezer on site, and most public parks have places to fillet your fish. After the fish are frozen you can buy an insulated box from most grocery stores like Walmart to package your fish in and subsequently either ship them home or bring them home as a "carry on" item. Although it's much cheaper to do this process on your own, if you don't know where to start there are also places that will process your catch for you.
4. Review Bear Safety : Just like when you're hiking, the chances of running into a bear while out on a trail are pretty good, especially if it's near any of the rivers or lakes that are experiencing a salmon run. I highly recommend you review bear safety tips of what to do when you encounter a black bear vs. a brown bear, as well as have a bear deterrent on you. You can read my full list of where to rent bear spray here, however if you're planning to stay near some of the busier fishing spots chances are someone else will have some on them and you won't necessarily need to have some yourself.
5. Follow Leave No Trace Principles : This is a general rule to follow anytime you're heading out to enjoy the great outdoors. You can see the entire list of all 7 principles here, but generally speaking you want to leave the outdoors just how you found it, with no trace that you or anyone in your group was ever there - this includes fishing line, tackle, and any other gear.