From: 03/10/2017
To: 03/10/2017
Type of Water: Freshwater
Species: Coho salmon, Sockeye salmon, Chum salmon, Pink salmon, Chinook salmon, Rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, Pike
Looking back the summer of 2016 will go into the books as a special year for trout fishing and another incredible sockeye return. The enormous salmon run of 2015 did exactly as predicted and provided a huge supply of protein from eggs and flesh as well as the billions of emerging fry in the spring to produce large numbers of healthy, strong trout. From opening day until the end of the season we saw above average numbers and size with a near record numbers of really big fish. Spring streamer fishing was amazing and those that experienced it will agree, there is nothing like an Alaskan rainbow slamming a swinging leech. We saw more than one rod nearly yanked from a relaxed angler’s grasp.
With the above average food supply we were able to add a few rivers to our spring repertoire and t View more...Looking back the summer of 2016 will go into the books as a special year for trout fishing and another incredible sockeye return. The enormous salmon run of 2015 did exactly as predicted and provided a huge supply of protein from eggs and flesh as well as the billions of emerging fry in the spring to produce large numbers of healthy, strong trout. From opening day until the end of the season we saw above average numbers and size with a near record numbers of really big fish. Spring streamer fishing was amazing and those that experienced it will agree, there is nothing like an Alaskan rainbow slamming a swinging leech. We saw more than one rod nearly yanked from a relaxed angler’s grasp.
With the above average food supply we were able to add a few rivers to our spring repertoire and the low run-off allowed for great access.
In late June the salmon returned, again in near record numbers, boosting the trout to epic proportions and setting the stage for a repeat of the spring fishery in 2017. Who knows what the winter will ultimately deliver in regards to snow pack but so far, we are on track for another low water spring and I’m excited for it.
While our sockeye return was memorable, our king, silver and chum returns were less than expected. We did find lots of great fishing but overall not one that will be remembered for long. The silver run across the west coast was low and Alaska wasn’t an exception. Our king salmon numbers were actually good in the Nushigak drainage but the official theory with the ADF&G was that they didn’t loiter once in the rivers and moved upstream faster than normal. Maybe, but with our very slanted board of fisheries it’s a proven fact that occasional errors favoring the commercial catch have occurred.
Overall our salmon runs remain healthy following two incredible sockeye runs. The forecast for 2017 is less than the two previous but still for a good return, probably closer to typical numbers on sockeye and slightly less than average on kings and silvers. Much of our fishing is dependent on water levels, and current precipitation numbers do indicate another lower than normal season can be expected. This is great news for early season anglers, maybe not so great for August and September. However, the last few years our abundant rainfall in the late summer months has kept the rivers fishable through the end of the season. Last summer we also saw good to great fishing in several rivers that have not produced in recent years and expect these to be even better in 2017.
