Alaska fishing species
If you are thinking about going fishing to Alaska then you will want to know what fish you will be able to catch. Alaska offers a large amount of species to fish and this means that fishing can be for all types of fishermen whether you are fly fishing or simply want to go for a laugh with your mates and do some bait fishing. With a wide range of places to go fishing in Alaska there are also a wide range of fish species you can fish in lakes, the sea & rivers.
King Salmon
The largest of the Pacific Salmon, the King is Alaska’s state fish, and an important sport and commercial fish. The largest on record was found in a fish trap near Petersburg in 1949 and weighed 126 pounds. We Alaskans devote many hours to the pursuit of this fish, and with good reason. A King gives an incredible fight which can often last hours. I’ve seen Kings take a line to the bottom of a river and just sit there, the fisherman unable to move it eventually giving up. Some people hook Kings that are just too big for them to handle, either losing it or letting someone else reel it in. It is a thrilling experience that leaves you understanding why they are called ‘Kings.’
Sockeye Salmon
Dark blue-black back with silvery sides. No distinct spots on back, dorsal fin or tail. Spawning sockeye salmon adults develop dull, green-colored heads and brick-red to scarlet bodies.
Silver Salmon
Yet another member of the family ‘Salmonidae’, the Silver or Coho Salmon is one of the most exciting to fish for largely because of its antics when hooked, but it is also a delicious tasting salmon that can sometimes run in very large numbers. If you see large congregations of fisherman in the fall, in Alaska, they are probably on a Silver stream.
Rainbow Trout
Their color is green to bluish back with silvery to yellowish-green sides. Broad pinkish band along side and black spots on back, sides and tail. Upper jaw usually does not extend past eye on adult.
Chum Salmon
Dull gray back with yellowish-silver sides. No distinct spots on back or tail. Large eye pupil covers nearly the entire eye. Spawning adults develop olive green coloration on the back with maroon sides covered with irregular dull red bars. Males exhibit many large canine-like teeth
Dolly Varden
Olive green to blue-gray back with silvery sides. Small yellow, red or pink spots on sides. Pelvic and anal fins often have white leading edge.
Pink Salmon
Very large spots on the back and large black oval blotches on both tail lobes. Very small scales. Spawning adults take on a dull gray coloration on back and upper sides with a creamy white color below. Males develop a pronounced hump.
Northern Pike
Back and sides usually greenish with yellow-white spots. Head depressed forward with duck-like jaws containing many large, sharp teeth.
Grayling
Light brown to dark purple back, fading to bluish gray with black spots on sides. With a very large dorsal fin with red violet spots.
Halibut
Halibut are among the largest fish in the sea and the largest of all the flatfish. They can grow to more than 8 ft long and 700 lbs. Halibut weighing in at more than 100 pounds are often called “Whales”, “Soakers”, or even “Barn Doors”, while smaller halibut, less than 20 pounds, are often called “Chickens”. The largest halibut ever caught while sport fishing was 459 lbs. in Unalaska Bay.
Salmon Shark
Dark gray top, blotchy patches on sides, white belly. Average 6.5 to 8 ft, 200 to 400 lbs, Up to 11 ft. At there Peak during salmon migration, spring to fall.
Steelhead
Sea-run rainbow trout with bluish gray back and bright silvery sides. Small black spots on back, sides and tail. Pink/red coloration develops after returning to fresh water to spawn.
LingCod
Dark brownish-green with copper blotches. Average 20 - 30 lbs, 20 - 35 inches Up to 60+ lbs.
Sheefish
The largest member of the whitefish family. A large jaw with the lower jaw overlapping the upper, silvery sides with large silvery scales and tail is deeply forked.
Arctic Char
Very difficult to distinguish from Dolly Varden. Arctic char are generally found in the Bristol Bay area and throughout western Alaska, and Dolly Varden are found on Kodiak Island and throughout the waters of southcentral and southeastern Alaska.
Rock Fish
Olive green to greenish brown with lighter underside, fins distinctly yellowish green. Size: up to 26 inches.
Lake Trout
Lake trout hold the title of not only being Alaska’s largest freshwater fish, but they also belong to the largest family of fish, known as char. Two close relatives of lake trout, which can also inhabit the same waters, are Dolly Varden and Arctic char.
