Alaska’s Fishing Seasons are determined heavily by weather and typical fish migration/movement pattterns. In determining when to make your plans for scheduling your fishing vacation, you first should decide what types of fish you are going to go after. In this article, we’ll show you the best time to plan on fishing the primary Alaska Fishing Season.
Alaska Saltwater Fishing Seasons
The map and images below are from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Smaller fish on the charts indicate that game fish are available and the larger fish on the charts indicate peak fishing time. Alaska is broken down below into the regions used by Alaska Fish and Game with only the saltwater fishing peaks per region. This should make it easier to compare regions for Saltwater Fishing in Alaska.
(Source: Alaska Sportfishing Regional Run Timing by Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Southern Southeast Region of Alaska Fishing Season (Including Kechikan, Prince of Wales Island, Petersburg, and Wrangell)
The location of this region protects much of the Inside Passage waterways from extreme ocean conditions. The best fishing in this region occurs between May and September as indicated by the chart below.
(Source of Image: Alaska Sportfishing Regional Run Timing by Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Northern Southeast Region of Alaska Fishing Season(Including Haines, Juneau, Sitka, Skagway, and Yakutat)
Juneau is the largest city in this region with approximately 42% of the population in all of Southeast Alaska. The best fishing season in this region also occurs between May and September as indicated by the chart below but demonstrates the variance between this region and the Southern Southeast Region depending on the saltwater fish species.
(Source of Image: Alaska Sportfishing Regional Run Timing by Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Prince William Sound/Resurrection Bay Region of Alaska Fishing Season (Including Cordova, Seward, Valdez, and Whittier.)
Alaska Fish and Games reports on their website the Resurrection Bay Fishing Season area sometimes mimics the Kenai Region Fishing Season instead of the map below for Prince William Sound. So be sure to check with your fishing charter or guide to find out more about their professional opinion on the fishing season.
(Source of Image: Alaska Sportfishing Regional Run Timing by Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Kenai Peninsula Region of Alaska Fishing Season(Including Homer, Hope, Kenai, Nikiski, Soldotna, and Seward.)
Some of the most populous towns in Southern Alaska are in this region. With so many fishing options, it can be difficult to determine where to fish, so hopefully these graphs from the Alaska Fish and Game can simplify your decision.
(Source of Image: Alaska Sportfishing Regional Run Timing by Alaska Department of Fish and Game)
Bristol Bay/Kodiak Region of Alaska Fishing Season(Including Dillingham, Dutch Harbor, King Salmon, and Kodiak.)
Bristol Bay has tidal variances of nearly 30 feet with strong, gusty winds. Navigation of larger boats can be somewhat troublesome here, but professional charters and guides know the waters. This region is near to Katmai National Park and Preserve. As you can see from the graph, if Halibut is what you are looking for, then this region is not for you. It does have a very robust Salmon run each year in its rivers and due to its proximity to some of the most gorgeous landmarks/attractions, it is a sure bet for fun and adventure.
(Source of Image: Alaska Sportfishing Regional Run Timing by Alaska Department of Fish and Game)