Alaska Fishing Seasons
Many folks visit Alaska during the Summer months. There is a primary reason for that, beautiful weather and a freshly blooming state with near 24 hours of daylight that provides endless opportunity to get involved with all of your planned activities. And yes, it is indeed the peak time for most of the most sought after fishing the state has to offer. However, there is actually fishing available all year. Admittedly even though some seasons might be for the more hardcore, we did want to share insight into what it is like for residents who live sustainable lifestyles here, and how they target fish all year long (in different areas).
Alaska Fishing in the Summer
Summer is hands down the peak of the Alaska fishing seasons. During the summer months of June 1 to August 31, all of the staple Alaska species are starting to make their runs upstream and infiltrate the bay systems in droves. This is when places like Ketchikan, Alaska become alive with droves of Salmon, Halibut, Cod, Rockfish, and more. It’s in the summer that the state becomes alive with fishing activity.
Alaska Fishing in the Fall
Even though Fall marks the beginning of cooler temps and the changing leaves, fishing is still quite available for even the most sought after species. Fall officially runs from September 1 to November 30. The latter half of that window will show some more deep winter like weather, but in September itself, the local fisherman here are still able to target Halibut and Silver Salmon in a lot of the local waterways.
Alaska Fishing in the Winter
The Winter months in Alaska that run between December 1 and February 28 are indeed in the heart of the cold that Alaska is known for. This is when interior fishermen begin to make plans for ice fishing trips, targeting coho salmon, arctic char, rainbow trout, and arctic grayling. In places like Ketchikan, the weather is more acclimate and these locals are able to target Rockfish for instance, all Winter long in the bay.
Alaska Fishing in the Spring
Springtime in Alaska involves what is known as “break up” early on. This is when the ice starts melting away and ice fisherman begin to watch their footing for the first part of it in March. Most start to make plans to switch gears for more summer like fishing excursions. In the latter part, during May, species such as Halibut and King Salmon begin to show back up, and the heavy action begins that leads you back to Summer.
Best Time to Fish in Alaska
If you had to pick one window in time to visit Alaska with fishing in mind, that would be the stretch between May and September. During this time all the fish begin to migrate back in, the runs start, and the area becomes alive with activity. The most active time frame involving the most active species available all at once would be the smaller window between June and August.
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