Reel Times Newsletter
October 2021
Issue 46
October - Fall Fishing Opportunities
I had an opportunity late last month to spend a day fishing with some friends and colleagues. We all met at Sportsman’s Landing on the Upper Kenai early in the morning. It was a brisk morning, a cold that felt somehow unseasonable for that time of year. We launched the drift boat and began our journey downriver, being pulled slowly by the current. Within less than a minute, a bright, healthy rainbow trout was brought to the net. We admired the fish momentarily before releasing it.
“It’s going to be a good day,” I thought to myself. And it was. A very good day, in fact. Not just because we all caught our fair share of beautiful rainbows and Dolly Varden, but because we were out on the water sharing in the experience of fall fishing.
There are many great opportunities across the state to get out and experience some of the best fishing of the year for resident species – including rainbow trout, Arctic char, Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling.
In this edition of Reel Times we bring you some resources to help you plan your fall fishing adventure. Get out there. The time is now.
Are you following us on social media? If not, be sure to check us out on Instagram @wefishak. You can also follow us on Facebook at ADF&G - wefishak.
If you have a comment or story ideas for Reel Times, we encourage you to send them our way. You can send comments to ryan.ragan@alaska.gov.
We’ll see you on the water.
Ryan Ragan
Division of Sport Fish - Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Fall Fishing on the Kenai Peninsula for Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden
September and October are some of the best months of the year to target rainbow trout and Dolly Varden on the Kenai Peninsula. The weather is cooling off and the salmon spawn and die off is in full swing, so these hungry fish are congregated and easily enticed into biting various lures and flies. Some of the most productive locations are the mainstem Kenai River upstream of the Soldotna Bridge to Skilak Lake (middle river), the Upper Kenai River, Russian River, Quartz Creek, and our local stocked lakes.
In flowing waters, the best lures are going to be beads that imitate salmon eggs and flesh flies. Depending on where you’re fishing and the currents, either option should net a good number of strikes from hungry fish. Fly rod recommendations would be between a 6, 7 or 8 weight rod with an 8 to 12 pound test leader. It may sound like over kill, but you will need that muscle if you hook into a 30-inch rainbow.
For the spin rod anglers, a medium weight rod would be recommended and size 2 spinners or plugs of similar size. Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden can be caught from shore or from boats depending on availability and location. For instance, the middle Kenai River is most commonly accessed by boat, while Quartz Creek is shore-based wade fishing.
Our stocked lakes on the Peninsula can be very productive in the fall as ice up approaches and the fish become active and move in closer to shore, feeding as much as possible. They can often be visually observed and targeted as they feed in shallow waters, or in the case of Dolly Varden and Arctic char as they prepare to spawn. During their spawn, these fish take on beautiful colors ranging from green to black with vibrant pinks and oranges with white fin tips to full orange (in the case of some Arctic char). Bait, such as salmon roe, fire balls, and raw shrimp suspended below a bobber will generally produce high catch rates for all our stocked lakes. Dry flies, nymphs and small streamer patterns also work well in the stocked lakes.
We recommend checking out Johnson, Sport, and Spirit Lake for starters. Please visit our website to see the full list of stocked lakes.
There’s No Place Like Nome: Fishing Opportunities Along the Nome Road System
Among rural coastal villages in Alaska, Nome’s extensive road system is unique and affords access to several rivers that provide excellent opportunities to catch a variety of fish species. The three main roads in the Nome area (the Bob Blodgett Nome-Teller Highway, the Nome-Taylor Road, and the Nome-Council Road), are maintained by the Alaska Department of Transportation all summer, and these roads provide access to 16 rivers and streams, as well as Salmon Lake, at the headwaters of the Pilgrim River. The Nome area is known for its trophy-sized Arctic grayling, (larger than 3 lbs.), and the state record Arctic grayling (5 lb. 3 oz) was caught and released from the Fish River drainage in 2008. In addition to Arctic grayling, good fishing opportunities to catch coho salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, and Dolly Varden are available.
The Bob Blodgett Nome-Teller Highway, also known as the Nome-Teller Road or the Teller Road, begins in Nome and roughly parallels the southern coastline of the Seward Peninsula for 72 miles to Teller. It crosses the Snake, Penny, Cripple, Sinuk, Feather, Tisuk, and Bluestone rivers that drain the south side of the Kigluaik Mountains and enter directly into the Bering Sea. The Snake and Sinuk rivers are the largest rivers and support great fishing for Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling in June. 
The Snake also gets good runs of chum, pink and coho salmon. There are several access points, and a nice 4-6-hour float trip can be had from the Glacier Creek Highway to the takeout at the Teller Highway bridge.
The Nome-Taylor Road, also known as the Kougarok Road, begins in Nome via either the Beam Road or the Anvil Mountain Bypass. Both meet near Dexter about eight miles from Nome and continue north along the Nome River upstream to its source. The road then crosses a low pass to Salmon Lake. This road crosses the Nome, Grand Central, Pilgrim, Kuzitrin, and Kougarok Rivers, and comes close to Salmon Lake. The Pilgrim River supports a popular sockeye salmon fishery, and both the Pilgrim and Kuzitrin rivers offer access to some excellent fishing for northern pike in the lower river sloughs.
The Nome-Council Road, also known as the Council Road, begins at Nome and stretches for about 73 miles to the old mining town of Council located on the north bank of the Niukluk River. The road parallels about 35 miles of Norton Sound coastline along the beach berm separating Safety Sound from the sea. This road crosses the Nome, Fox, Bear, and Niukluk rivers, as well as the Safety Sound channel. The Niukluk River has some of the highest densities of large Arctic grayling on the Seward Peninsula, with recent research results estimating that there were over 750 fish larger than 15 inches per mile of river in the 14-mile study area.
When in Nome, you may wish to pursue other outdoor recreational activities in the area. Hikers, campers, backpackers, wildlife watchers, and birders will find many options along Nome’s road system. Opportunities to view spawning salmon and other wildlife such as muskox, reindeer, moose, bear, and a great diversity of birds may be found along Nome area roadways. Check with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Nome Visitor’s Bureau about areas of interest and information on recent wildlife sightings.
Ketchikan Brook Trout Fishing
Do you want to be one of very few people who catch a Brook Trout in Alaska this year? If you are in the Ketchikan area, you can be! Perseverance Lake is a local remote lake where Brook Trout are frequently caught. Statewide harvest survey estimates that in the past 10 years, less than 800 Brook Trout are caught in Southeast Alaska each year. There are few lakes that contain these beautiful fish and a large percentage of the lakes that do contain Brook Trout are only accessible by foot or float plane. While you cannot drive to Perseverance Lake, it is accessible via an easy 2.4-mile hike that starts at Ward Lake. Lots of people hike to the lake, but not many know about the amazing Brook Trout opportunities the lake has to offer!
Brook trout are not native to Alaska. They were introduced to lakes in Alaska and other Western states between 1917 and 1950. Brook Trout were introduced to Perseverance Lake in 1931 and 1932 along with Rainbow Trout. Stocking events occurred in multiple rivers, streams, and lakes in Southeast Alaska. In the Ketchikan area, however, Perseverance Lake is one of the only lakes with consistent reported catches to this day. Perseverance Lake is a medium-sized lake located outside of Ketchikan and is considered part of the Ward Creek Drainage. Access to the head of the trail is located across from a Ward Lake parking area about 100 feet past the 3 C’s campground. The trail splits just before it gets to the lake. Stay left for a tent platform located at the head of the lake. The right-hand split takes you along the shore to another tent platform and becomes the Minerva Mountain Trail, which eventually leads back into Ketchikan. You can use the tent platforms for a picnic at the lake or for a great overnight camping spot- just remember that the platforms are first come-first served.
Brook trout are available in the lake year-round, but anglers report higher catch rates in May, September, and October. You can catch fish in the summer, but if the days are warm, you will have best luck fishing early in the morning or in the evening, when temperatures are lower. Cool, overcast weather will be the best bet to produce fish. The aggressive nature of Brook Trout makes them fun to catch on any trout fishing gear. Try spoons, spinners, jigs, or flies! Walk around the lake and fish the steep shorelines, casting into the deep pools where Brook Trout like to hang out. Remember, when fishing for Brook Trout, time and patience are your friend. Your patience will be rewarded when a gaped jawed cruiser rises from the depths and slams into your lure!
Be sure to check the 2021 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations. The General Regulations for Brook Trout can be found on page 9 and the Ketchikan Area Freshwater Special Regulations can be found on page 30-32. Regulations vary depending on the waters you plan to fish.
Online Fishing Forums Aim to Educate and Inspire Anglers
Our Online Fishing Forums are a series of videos produced by Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff. The topics of these forums vary widely and cover such things as targeting halibut from shore on the Kenai Peninsula, ice fishing, dipnetting and fishing for sheefish on the Yukon River.
We have a growing collection of Online Fishing Forums on our YouTube channel. Check out the collection and please subscribe the channel to receive notifications when we post new content.
wefishak webpages designed to provide anglers resources to “Get Out and Fish. Together.”
Did you know some Alaska Department of Fish and Game office loan fishing gear free of charge? Or that you can earn a certificate for catching all five species of Pacific salmon native to the freshwaters of Alaska?
Check out our wefishak webpage for a list of resources designed to help and encourage you to get out and go fishing.
If you’re active on social media, be sure to use #wefishak when sharing your fishing photos and experiences.
Field to Plate - Recipe of the month
Recipe of the Month – Gluten Free Oven-Baked Alaska Salmon Burgers
Looking for a great salmon burger recipe? Try this recipe for Gluten Free Oven-Baked Alaska Salmon Burgers from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
Enjoy!
If you have any questions about the Reel Times newsletter, please contact Ryan Ragan at ryan.ragan@alaska.gov