Sportfishing ketchikan ak? (2023)

What fish can you catch in Ketchikan?

Marine waters of the Ketchikan area support catchable populations of all five species of Pacific salmon, halibut, lingcod, Pacific cod, greenling, herring, and several common species of rockfish.

While salmon fishing in Ketchikan, it is technically possible to catch a King salmon in February, the warmer season between May and October is the best time for all of the different salmon species that call Alaska home.

Known as the “salmon capital of the world,” it truly is a great place to catch salmon. Once you get here, it is easy to see why with a vast range of recreational fishing opportunities, several of which are located in secluded wilderness areas, accessible only by boat or small plane.

Kings or Chinook salmon can be found in Ketchikan year round but the spawning run begins showing up in mid May with the bulk of the local fish passing through in the last half of June and the first week of July.

Roadside saltwater sport fishing is available for king salmon, pink and coho salmon, rockfish, halibut, shellfish, cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden. Several sport fishing techniques are productive: the common ones are trolling, mooching, bottomfishing, flyfishing, and spincasting.

Ketchikan: Ketchikan is the best port in Alaska for salmon fishing. You can also try crab fishing here or visit the Silverking Lodge. Sitka: Sitka has far fewer cruise itinerary port calls than Ketchikan, so fishing is easier here.

January 1 - June : Annual possession limit is three king salmon. July 1- July 15: Annual possession limit is two king salmon. July 16- December 31: Annual possession limit is one king salmon. 2022 - 2025: King fishing will remain open all season although there may be reductions on the annual limit.

For example, a person is allowed to keep 4 halibut for the year, with the limit being 2 per day. King salmon are the only salmon that have an annual limit, which are 5 per person per year. All other species of salmon do not have an annual limit, just a daily limit.

Alaska Residents—No size limit: 1 per day, 2 in possession. Nonresidents—1 per day, 1 in possession; 30–45 inches or 55 inches and longer, annual limit of 2 fish, one of which is 30–45 inches in length, and one that is 55 inches or greater in length, harvest record required (see page 6).

Ketchikan is now in compliance with all Federal drinking water standards.

What month do salmon run in Ketchikan Alaska?

Ketchikan Creek flows through Downtown Ketchikan and fills with spawning salmon each July and August. The planks of Ketchikan's famous Creek Street are a good spot to watch salmon swim upstream.

The best time to travel to Alaska for fishing tends to be in the summer months of June, July, and August for peak season. During these months you can catch the end of the King Salmon season, and peak times for Silver, Red, Pink and Chum Salmon.

Ketchikan | Salmon Capital of the World | ALASKA.ORG.

Ketchikan is known as "The Salmon Capital of the World"—thanks to healthy wild salmon runs and a passionate fishing community dedicated to making sure the runs stay strong.

King Salmon, also known as Chinook salmon, run from late May until late July. During mid-July to mid-August, it's the pink and sockeye salmon's turn. July to October rounds out the spawn with silver, also called coho, salmon.

South Tongass Highway. Both the North and the South Tongass Highway offer occasional shore-based saltwater fishing for Dolly Varden, salmon, rockfish and even halibut.

Kodiak is Alaska's largest fishing port and is the third largest port in the United States.

Coho Salmon

Its orangey-red flesh has a firm texture, and many consider it the best type of salmon for grilling. Coho Salmon from Alaska is MSC-Certified sustainable.

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha), also known as King salmon, is considered by many to be the best-tasting of the salmon bunch. They have a high-fat content and corresponding rich flesh that ranges from white to a deep red color.

How many halibut can you keep in Ketchikan Alaska?

Halibut Regulations

We have news for our 2023-fishing season. The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has just announced the slot limit is 40' or less, or 80' or more for the entire 2023 season, allowing anglers to keep one halibut under 40 inches or over 80 inches each day.

Gross pay can average $4000.00 - $6000.00 per fishing trip for new hires. Employees earn a crew share. There are no set wages for non-licensed, entry-level positions. A higher percentage can be earned based on work performance and attitude and is determined by the captain at the end of each contracted fishing trip.

Bear viewing takes place near Brooks Camp along the Brooks River and Brooks River Falls, where grizzlies gather by the dozens during salmon runs to fish and feast. Carefully managed viewing platforms and boardwalks allow visitors to safely experience this natural wonder.

In Alaska, you can use up to one set of fishing gear. For example, if you're fly fishing, you can use only a single rod. But when ice fishing, you can use two lines; therefore, you must use at most two rods when ice fishing.

This action is being taken because the 2022 Yukon River Chinook and summer Chum salmon runs are forecasted to be poor with little to no harvestable surplus available for subsistence uses. ANILCA allows for the closure to subsistence uses “to assure the continued viability of a particular fish or wildlife population.”

Meat, seafood and other non-liquid food items are permitted in both carry-on and checked bags. If the food is packed with ice or ice packs in a cooler or other container, the ice or ice packs must be completely frozen when brought through screening.

Shipping fish from Alaska requires having a plan in place to ensure you have all of the materials required and a good understanding of the amount of time that will be required to get your fish to your destination. The average time a person will be traveling to their destination will range from 10- to 24 hours.

Proper storage is key to maintaining freshness. Salmon can be kept for up to two days in the refrigerator. Remove the salmon from its wrappings, rinse thoroughly with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

No, you cannot use more than one set of gear. For example, if you're rod and reel fishing, you can use only 1 rod. Legal gear for ice fishing is two lines per person, so even if you're proxy fishing, you cannot use more than two lines through the ice.

Some attractions are located just blocks from the cruise ship docks. You have plenty of time to see much of the island if you do rent a car or van. We strongly recommend renting a vehicle. It allows you to see many beautiful attractions at your own pace.

Why is Ketchikan famous?

Set at the southernmost entrance to Alaska's famed Inside Passage—a network of waterways that snake through some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful wilderness in the world—Ketchikan is best known for three things: feisty salmon, idyllic scenery, and an incredibly rich Alaska Native culture.

Refuge Cove State Recreation Site is a popular area for picnicking and swimming in Ketchikan, AK. The beach lines an edge of a neighborhood, so for many residents of the area, access couldn't be simpler. This site comes with picnic tables, pit toilets, fire pits and trails.

Fishing for spring-run salmon often peaks from June through August, and fishing for fall-run salmon can be excellent from August through November.

Kenai River

The Kenai River sits in south central Alaska in the state's Kenai Peninsula. The river is quite arguably the state's most popular sport fishing destination for Chinook (also known as King) salmon. In fact, the world record king salmon, weighing in at 97 lbs, was caught in the Kenai in 1985.

Time of day: Early in the morning or the evening tend to be when salmon are most active. You can catch them at any time, but this is their “rush hour”.

King salmon: Alaska is well known for its salmon, and Alaskan waters are swarming with a bounty of species of salmon, including the king salmon. Also known as Chinook, the king salmon is the largest and most sought after of all salmon species.

The Alaskan Leopard Rainbow trout is without question one of Alaska's most prized sportfish in which hundreds of anglers come to target every year. The rainbow trout can be found in almost all of Alaska's rivers and can be caught from June through October.

ALASKA GUIDED SALMON OR TROUT FISHING COSTS

If you are looking just fish for the day, guided fishing trips and charters generally cost $175 per angler for a half day trip and $275 per angler for a full day trip.

Some of the best salmon fishing in the US can be found in Alaska. It is the top destination for anglers for all five types of pacific Salmon. King, Sockeye, Silver, Chum and Pink Salmon all make their annual runs here as part of the Alaska Salmon Fishery. Salmon rule the rivers, streams and oceans of the 49th state.

What state catches the most salmon?

The salmon harvest in Alaska is the largest in North America and represents about 80% of the total wild-caught catch, with harvests from Canada and the Pacific Northwest representing the remainder In 2017 over 200 million salmon were caught in Alaskan waters by commercial fishers, representing $750 million in exvessel ...

Smaller than Juneau, but substantially more populated than Skagway, Ketchikan is a moderately-sized fishing port located along the southernmost reaches of the Inside Passage: If you're northbound from Vancouver or Seattle, Ketchikan will likely be your first Alaskan stop.

The Ketchikan Community includes people of the Haida Nation, the Tlingit Nation and the Tshimsian Nation. As of 2010, 16.7% of Ketchikan's population was First Nations peoples. Just south of Ketchikan live another 10,000 members of the Tlingit tribe.

Ketchikan is named after the creek that runs through town. The name “Ketchikan” comes from the Tlingit name for the creek, Kitschk-hin. Ketchikan Creek is a productive habitat for salmon. Cape Fox Tlingit Alaska Native peoples came to the area that would become Ketchikan for centuries to fish the waterway.

The resident bag and possession limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length; From February 3 through March 31, 2022, and October 1, 2022, through March 31, 2023, a resident angler may use two rods when fishing for king salmon, a person using two rods under this regulation may only retain salmon.

All residents age 18 or older and nonresidents age 16 or older must purchase and possess a sport fishing license to participate in Alaska sport and personal use fisheries. In addition, a king salmon stamp is required to fish for king salmon (except king salmon in stocked lakes).

The waters surrounding Ketchikan, Alaska are home to many different types of bottom fish. You can find halibut, ling cod, yellow eye, pacific cod and various types of rock fish. ​Halibut are the biggest fish we catch in these areas. They are amazingly good eating and can be absolutely enormous.

This relatively deep lake is primarily managed for Rainbow Trout and Kokanee. The lake supports good harvest opportunity for hatchery Rainbow Trout 9-15" and Kokanee up to 15" as well as naturally reproducing populations of Largemouth Bass, Bluegill Sunfish, Coastal Cutthroat Trout and Rock Bass.

What is the best month for halibut fishing in Alaska?

The first thing you need to know about planning Alaska halibut fishing trips is that the best halibut season time is mid-May to mid-September. During the day, the best time to fish is during the high slack tide as it will keep your tackle as close to the bottom as possible.

Halibut Regulations

We have news for our 2023-fishing season. The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has just announced the slot limit is 40' or less, or 80' or more for the entire 2023 season, allowing anglers to keep one halibut under 40 inches or over 80 inches each day.

(b) The daily bag limit is two Pacific halibut of any size per day per person unless a more restrictive bag limit applies in Commission regulations or Federal regulations at 50 CFR 300.65. (c) No person may possess more than two daily bag limits.

The five different types of salmon that flock to the Ketchikan area are Chum Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, King Salmon, Silver Salmon, and Pink Salmon. These different salmon all work toward the same goal of making it upstream to spawn and carry on their legacy.

The creek is predominated by Rainbow Trout with a smaller population of Brown Trout. Due to the makeup of the stream, insect hatches in the area are large and consistent. Many anglers from around the world come to fish Hat Creek for it's prolific hatches and beautiful scenery.

On Kettle Creek, the big wild browns and brook trout prowl the riffles, pools and runs in search of food, and few of them are fussy eaters. You can also find large rainbows depending on where you are, and even though they are hatchery raised they still thrive along Kettle Creek.

Wondering to yourself, “When is halibut in season?” May through September is peak halibut season. That means this is one of the best times to fish to pursue these flatfish that vary between small and enormous. While the average size of this fish species is between 15 and 20 pounds, many are caught over 150 pounds.

Halibut are usually on or near the bottom over mud, sand, or gravel banks. Most are caught at depths of 90 to 900 feet, but halibut have been recorded at depths up to 3,600 feet.