Yukon Drainage Management Area
Fishing Opportunities

Birch Creek


Description

Birch Creek looking east.Birch Creek flows east and then north from near the Steese Highway just past Twelvemile Summit, eventually reaching the Yukon River.  The river provides excellent fishing for Arctic grayling, and in the lower reaches, for northern pike.  The river can be floated about 110 miles, putting in and taking out on the Steese Highway.  The river is mostly Class I, with a few sections of Class II and III water.  The river is small and typically very shallow for the first 10 miles, and boats must be lined through shallow sections.  The river can also be accessed by small jet boat for about 30 miles upstream of the Steese Highway bridge.

Tackle

Arctic grayling respond well to both dry flies and nymphs as conditions warrant.  Typical fly patterns are mosquitos, elk hair caddis, and mayflies.   Northern pike,  found in the lower reaches in slow water and sloughs and in connected lakes, will strike silver or gold spoons or spinners, as well as surface lures and rubber fish or frog patterns.  As always when fishing for northern pike, steel leaders are a must.

Getting There

The float trip put-in is accessed from a pull-off on the Steese Highway at milepost 94.  Boats usually have to be A nice Arctic grayling taken on a fly in upper Birch Creek.dragged for parts the first ¼ mile or so until the North Fork of Birch Creek, and occasionally lined/dragged across gravel shallows in the upper 10 miles of Birch Creek.  Because of this, large rafts are not recommended.  The take out of the float is at the Lower Birch Creek Wayside at milepost 140.5 of the Steese Highway, or floaters can continue downstream another 16 river miles to the Steese Highway Bridge.  The river can be floated all the way to the Yukon River, but there is little current in the more than 200 river miles below the Steese Highway Bridge.  More information about access and floating Birch Creek is available at the BLM Birch Creek website pages.

 

Dates

Begin: May 135
Ends: September 268

Regulations

Before you go fishing please check the regulations.