Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana
Archived Sport Fishing Report
June 20, 2024
Sport fishing
Local conditions
- It’s summer solstice weekend. The longest days of the year allow you to fish 24 hours of the day; get out and fish! Midnight sun fishing is a beautiful and tranquil experience
- Summer fishing is in full swing in the Interior. All lakes are ice free, and the Tanana River is rising from glacial input due to the hot weather this past week.
Freshwater species
Arctic grayling
- Arctic grayling streams are mostly clear and low and Arctic grayling will be actively feeding all day.
- The special youth fishery in the lower Chena River, downstream Chena River flood control project, will occur again this weekend. 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.
Stocked lakes
- Staff at the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks have completed spring stocking of Tanana Valley lakes. A total of 319,427 were stocked into 76 lakes of which there were 115,390 catchable rainbow trout, 66,930 fingerling rainbow trout, 127,154 fingerling coho salmon, and 9,953 Arctic char. A total of 75 lakes were stocked.
- 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 26th closed the sport fishery for king salmon in all flowing waters of the Tanana River drainage effective March 28th. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries through September 30th.
- Emergency order 3-NP-U-5-24 issued April 30th 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.