Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 12, 2024

Sport fishing

Local conditions

• High alpine lakes finally are ice-free. Fishing is usually quite good along open water shoreline areas just after ice-out and as the water temps warm.
• River levels should be coming up with the warm weather last weekend melting off the remaining high elevation snow pack. This week's rain should also give local rivers a boost.

Freshwater species

Arctic grayling

• The special youth fishery in the lower Chena River, downstream Chena River flood control project, will begin this weekend for four sequential weekends. Only anglers who are 15 years of age or younger may fish for and retain 1 Arctic grayling of any size per day on the following dates: June 15-16, June 22-23, June 29-30, July 6-7. All anglers may fish for and retain 1 Arctic grayling in the lower Chena River between June 1 and March 31 except during the youth only fishery.

Northern pike

• Northern pike fishing in the Tolovana River drainage, including Minto Flats, Minto Lakes and the Chatanika River, opened June 1. The bag and possession limit for northern pike in those waters has been reduced from 5 fish a day to 2 fish a day, only one of which may be 30 inches or longer.
• Harding Lake remains closed to northern pike fishing, including catch-and-release fishing.
• Try big, flashy spoons to attract the attention of pike.

Burbot

• Burbot fishing downstream from the mouths of tributaries in the Tanana remains good this time of year, although will slow down as temperature and water levels rise. Try fishing bait on the bottom of the river in back eddy areas and slow-moving waters in the mainstem of the Tanana River. Bait is currently not allowed in any tributaries of the Tanana River due to the closure of the king salmon fishery this summer.

Stocked lakes

• Staff at the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks finished stocking lakes in the Tanana River drainage. Through June 12, a total of 218,778 fish have been stocked, which includes 104,513 catchable rainbow trout, 6,060 fingerling rainbow trout, 99,348 fingerling coho salmon, and 8,857 Arctic char. These fish have been stocked into 54 lakes around the Fairbanks and Delta Junction area.
• Try fishing small pieces of shrimp or salmon eggs under a bobber or use small, flashy spoons or spinners to entice fish to bite.
• Many stocked lakes also have great camp sites and a few have ADF&G cabins available for reservation.
• For a complete list of stocked lakes in the Interior and statewide, check out the Alaska Lake Database to see when lakes were stocked, how many fish were stocked and what kind of fish were stocked.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip:

• Emergency Order 3-KS-U-4-24 issued March 26^th closed the sport fishery for king and chum salmon in all flowing waters of the Tanana River drainage effective April 5th. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries through September 30.
• Emergency order 3-NP-U-5-24 issued April 30 reduces the bag and possession limit for northern pike in all lakes and flowing waters of the Minto Flats area to two fish, only one of which may be 30 inches or longer, effective from June 1 – October 14.

ADF&G News

• Don't forget to purchase your 2024 sport fishing license and king stamp! Download the ADF&G Mobile App today. You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e. king salmon), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and much more on your mobile device. You can also purchase licenses through the ADF&G online store and print it off at home. Make sure to review emergency orders, advisory announcements, and the 2024 Northern Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.
• Both the Delta and Fairbanks offices have fishing rods to loan out as part of the ADF&G Rod Loaner Program. All you need is a current sport fishing license (for resident anglers 18 and older and non-residents 16 or older) to borrow a rod. You’ll have to provide your own tackle but rods are free of charge.
• Check out ADF&G’s public use cabin reservation system to see about renting a free public use cabin on one of six different fishing lakes in the Delta Junction area.
• The Tanana Valley Fisheries Center in the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery at 1150 Wilbur Street in Fairbanks is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stop in to say hi and see what’s growing in the hatchery.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Fairbanks or Delta Junction offices at 907-459-7228 or 907-895-4632.