Alaska Fishing Spots
We put a lot of work into researching, visiting, and curating these fishing spots (over 500 in all!), so you can spend your time filling the freezer, not searching for fish. Alaska has over 800 marked fishing spots on the road system alone, and unearthing the best ones was a labor of love.
When choosing these spots, we considered popularity, accessibility, and how much is known about the location. Places like the Russian River see a lot of anglers, while other places are seldom-visited; for both, we’ll tell you what makes the location unique how to fish it. But we also go beyond the usual information, offering knowledge that can only be acquired by visiting—like water clarity, soil type, and other insights specific to the location.
A lot of work, too, has gone into mapping these fishing locations. Most were mapped to their respective parking areas, which often required an on-location GPS reading. Other locations were mapped using digital satellite imagery, and this also required careful planning to ensure they were properly marked.
If you need gear, talk to our friends at Alaska Outdoor Gear Outfitters & Rentals. They'll equip you with all the necessary rods, waders, tackle and more.
Enjoy our guide, and happy fishing!
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Ship Creek (Lower)
Alaska's most productive king salmon sportfishery is located right in downtown Anchorage! Fish for salmon at Ship Creek even if you have only two hours. During the summertime derbies, specially tagged fish bring in $100-$10,000. Buy your tickets ($7-35) from the Derby Cabin next to Comfort Inn at Ship Creek and warm up your muscles-in 2002, a 41-pounder took grand prize! Want to More...
Soldotna River Walk
Soldotna Park, in downtown Soldotna, offers all Kenai River species—but most people are here for the sockeye. That means it can get crowded during peak sockeye season, but it's also a good place to learn how to fish for sockeye. The combination of easy accessibility, hard-packed gravel and a shallow grade make the fishing enjoyable.
Homer Spit Fishing
This is one of the few spots along the road system where you might catch halibut from the shore. Check out the beach, which surrounds the Land’s End Hotel, on the Homer Spit. Here, you’ll find a small parking lot, and the water's only about 100 feet away.
Dip Netting on the Kenai (& Elsewhere)
Each head of household is allowed to keep 25 sockeye salmon per year, and every additional member of the family is entitled to 10 fish.
Fishing the Kenai River - Moose River Confluence
This spot in Sterling—at milepost 82.3 at the Isaak Walton Campground—is where the Moose River meets the Kenai River, and the two rivers’ differing paces are drastic. The Moose River is very slow and wide, with almost no current—so much so that it feels more like a lake. The Kenai River, on the other hand, flows fairly swiftly in comparison, and the confluence can play strange tricks on your tackle.
Eklutna Tailrace
This unique fishery, about 25 miles north of Anchorage, is comprised of a small, artificial eddy of water that comes down from a power plant and connects to the main stem, Knik River. The glacial-fed water looks murky and blue-gray, and there’s very little current. While you won’t find much solitude here, you can usually find a spot to set up a lawn chair for some lazy fishing. There’s abundant parking, too, as well as restrooms.
Kenai River - Cunningham Park
Located down Beaver Loop Road, just outside of Kenai, Cunningham Park is a great, easy-access location for sockeye and silver salmon. The shoreline here is a mix of gravel and mud, with the mud being more prevalent below the tidal zone. That said, this spot is very tidal dependent, so you’ll have to continually adjust your bait setup as the water rises or falls.
Kenai River - Bing’s Landing
This spot, just north of Sterling, is primarily a boat launch, but it also offers excellent sockeye fishing. It’s located at the end of Bing’s Landing Road: There’s a parking lot, but when the fishing is hot, you can expect to park alongside the road, up to half a mile away from the boat launch site. (Another reason you might park on the road: The lot near the boat launch has a fee.)
Spawning Salmon of Indian Creek
Thousands of pink salmon converge on Indian Creek each July and August, just about filling this shallow, easy-flowing stream south of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm from bank-to-bank. This amazing natural spectacle occurs in one of the easiest places to view spawning salmon in the region: No steep banks, crystal clear water and fish so close they could almost be touched.
Kenai River - Moose Meadows
This spot is particularly good for anyone who's mobility impaired, since you access the river by a flat, metal boardwalk—and the actual fishing area is also from the boardwalk. This makes Moose Meadows one of a very few places where anglers can fish for sockeye without having to be in the water—you can do excellent even from a wheel chair.
Fishing at Quartz Creek Campground
This tributary of the Kenai River flows alongside the Sterling Highway, just north of Cooper Landing (from milepost 40-45). There are plenty of designated pull-offs along the highway—like Quartz Creek Road, which leads to Kenai Lake, as well as the popular access point at the Quartz Creek Bridge.
Willow Creek Confluence
This confluence is one of the most popular fisheries in South Central Alaska. Located about 60 miles north of Anchorage on the Parks Highway, it offers excellent fishing for four of the major salmon species: kings, silvers, chums and pinks. It also features big rainbows (up to 30 inches) and Dolly Varden, as well as Arctic Grayling. You’ll also find, in small numbers, burbot and whitefish.
Campbell Creek (Upper)
This fish-filled creek rushes out from Far North Bicentennial Park and through the center of town. Cast for rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, or silver salmon-all within walking distance of your car. Throw on a pair of hip-waders and head up the creek or angle from the shoreline trail.
Directions: Park at one of the lots on Campbell Airstrip Rd. to access the creek from Far North More...
Campbell Creek Wayside
Another quiet little wayside sporting toilets and great fishing for Arctic char.
Rengling River Pullout
A great place for a picnic, and an excellent place to fish for arctic grayling and arctic char. Don't forget your bug dope!
Kenai Lake (Trail River)
Milepost 17.7, Seward Highway
Kenai Lake offered a flat treeless path to travel in winter. This trail was one of two overland routes to Sunrise and Hope. (The other overland route was through Portage Pass.) Miners traveled by dogsled from Seward to Snow River and on to Kenai Lake. At the other end of the 17 mile lake, travelers would follow Quartz Creek north through Turnagain More...
Montana Creek Combat Fishing
When silver salmon are running up Montana Creek by the thousands, fishermen are running up the Parks Highway by the hundreds to go “combat fishing.” They stand elbow to elbow along the creek, casting their lines and catching everything from fish to coat sleeves. Up and down the creek, you can hear people holler “Fish on!”
Fish Ship Creek’s Mouth
If you like to fish for Silvers and Kings with a bobber and eggs, Ship Creek's mouth is a great option. Though you may have to deal with a little bit more mud along the banks, bring a packable chair, and once you're about 100 meters north of the road, you can claim a grassy area to settle in.
Deep Creek
King salmon enter Deep Creek during late May and early June and continue to spawn into early July. Watch for their dark red bodies in the riffles and deeper holes. A very limited fishing season is provided during the early summer for kings and steelheads.
American River Bridge
Stop off at the bridge and fish or raft on American River (there's a good fishing spot to the left when you get to the bridge).
Long Lake: Salmon Viewing Hotspot (mi 45.2 McCarthy Rd)
Stop at Long Lake, at mile 45.2, to see a popular spot for sockeye salmon to spawn. Every year, 18,000 sockeye salmon swim up the Chitina and Copper Rivers to spawn in Long Lake. This is a very unique run, salmon begin entering the lake as late as September and spawn until April.
Silver Lake Rainbow Fishing
Cast your line for some rainbow trout, or maybe a silver salmon. Here you'll find public fishing access. A short walk on the .3 mile trail north to Strelna Lake puts you in the right sport for some angling.
Susitna River (MP 79.5)
The Susitna River is a major drainage system in the Denali region. The river flows south from the Susitna Glacier and the Alaska Range and eventually turns west to flow through the Talkeetna Mountains and then south to Cook Inlet. The Susitna is not floatable because of Devil’s Canyon downstream. Access to the historic Valdez Creek Mine is on the More...
Pasagshak State Recreation Site
The Pasagshak State Park provides a spectacular setting for anglers, beachcombers, hikers, and explorers. There is developed camping for both tent and RV campers, a boat launch, two modern pit toilets, and numerous picnic sites.
Dupont Trail
Drive to the end of Thane road and park at the dead end, where a nice waterfall sets the mood for this three-mile hike through a beautiful rain forest. Mud and exposed roots make for difficult footing, but the trail is flat—a rarity around here. Fish for dollies where fresh water enters the channel. If hiking in early summer, look for big chunks missing from the huge, unfurling More...
Bishop Creek Trail & Picnic Area
There is parking at the trailhead for passenger vehicles and one or two campers. The trail is half a mile long and takes you through a mature birch forest that is carpeted with devil's club and watermelon berry plants. It's an easy walking, ideal for small children, and ends at a small camping area on a slight bluff that overlooks Bishop's Beach and Bishop Creek. There is More...
Bird Creek Access Parking
This is one spot you don't want to miss. July through September you'll witness a spectacular run of Silver Salmon. Fishermen from all over the world come into Alaska to cast a line here. There will be hundreds of people coming and going from Bird Creek on any given day. In their hands will be the days bounty; a nice big silver salmon that is delicious when smoked and even More...
Chena Lake Recreation Area
Chena Lake has two distinct personalities: The Lake Park and The River Park. The two parks were created at the same time an earthfill dam was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in response to devastating Chena River floods in 1967. The dam is 7.1 miles long and controls nearly 1,500 miles of watershed that would otherwise freely flow into Fairbanks.
Tutka Bay Falls
Located towards the head of Tutka Bay on the north side is Tutka Bay Falls. The beach in front of the falls is a good spot for clam digging, pink salmon fishing and just lounging around. Explore along the trail that parallels the waterfall and take a backcountry shower in one of the pools. Be courteous of private property in this area.
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Buskin River State Recreation Site
Whether you’re looking for a campsite or fishing hole, glassing for birds, watching for bears, or beachcombing, this recreation site is a great spot to experience the wonders of Kodiak Island without traveling too far. There are camping sites for everything from tents to large RVs, which are given on a first-come, first-served basis with prices from $10-$28. There are also More...
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Meridian and Grayling Lakes
These popular trails lead to two beautiful, pristine lakes. Even better, they’re both easy hikes, which makes them perfect for people of all ages. Bring a fishing pole and angle for stocked trout in Meridian Lake or grayling in Grayling Lake.
Caribou Lake
Ever gone ice fishing? Caribou lake is a great place to enjoy this cold and unique experience. You can spend a quiet day to yourself, fishing for Dolly Varden and Kokanee. Or if you're feeling more competitive, you can participate in the Snomad's (Homer's snow machine club) annual ice fishing contest. (Either way, dress in warm layers and be prepared to sit or stand in the cold!)
Hasselborg Lake
A two-hour kayak ride up Mitchell Bay toward Hasselborg Lake takes you through a serene, pristine wilderness. You’ll share the area with water birds, eagles, salmon and of course, brown bear. Portage at a U.S. Forest Service cabins to stay awhile and take in more of the incredible Tongass National Forest.
Wosnesenski River Trail
This easy trail winds along the banks of three lakes. There is a camping area on the side of the trail. The trail climbs a saddle and drops down into the valley. It can be dangerous to cross the rivers, as they are glacier-fed and you cannot see the bottom. The rivers are lower during the beginning of the year, but they are also colder.
