Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 08, 2021

* Just a reminder to all anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing as well as when shopping for fishing supplies from your local store, and by wearing a face covering when social distancing is not possible.

Sport Fishing

Freshwater Fishing

Most area rivers are clear and low. The Tanana River and its tributaries are low but will be rising as all our bluebird days intensifies meltwater from glaciers.

The Chena River Youth-Only Fishery for Arctic grayling continues for its fourth and final weekend. Any angler 15 years old or younger, can retain 1 Arctic grayling per day of any size from the lower Chena River (downstream from a regulatory marker 300 ft downstream of the Chena River Flood Control Project) on July 10-11. Weather and water levels are expected to remain excellent for participants this weekend as well. Please remember Arctic grayling must not be retained in the Chena outside of the Youth-Only Fishery dates by anglers of any age.

Delta Clearwater around the Clearwater campground is producing nice Arctic grayling. Try fishing with dry flies such as Mosquito, Adams, and Caddisfly patterns, black or brown nymphs, or potentially salmon egg patterns. Anglers using spinning gear will find that small spoons, spinners, and white or pink jigs.

Watch the ADF&G video, How to Fish for Arctic Grayling, for helpful tips on technique and gear.

Water levels in Minto Flats have dropped. Pike fishing has been good, but there is still limited dry land available for onshore use and/or camping. Topwater action was pretty good for small and medium-sized fish around the shallower edges, but with the continued elevated water levels targeting bigger fish was easier fishing lures like larger spoons or heavier swimbaits that run farther down in the water column.

Lake Fishing.

Most of the trails to the stocked lakes are dry with only a few muddy sections, this is the time to get out and explore some of our more remote stocked lakes such as Forrest or Kenna Lake. For those that would like to stick closer to the road system, nice rainbow trout were caught onshore at Quartz over the weekend. Try shrimp or cured eggs or even just a small spinner or spoon! To get more information on any of these lakes, or to explore others, check out the Alaska Lake Database.

Tangle Lakes was a good place to try casting for Arctic grayling. Look above for some gear suggestions as well as a link to our video on how to fish for Arctic grayling.

Salmon

By emergency order, the Tanana River drainage is closed to sport fishing for king salmon. This closure will extend to chum salmon starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, July 1, 2021. These closures prohibit all sport fishing for king and chum salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. All king and chum salmon caught incidentally while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. For more information, see the Emergency Order information below.

King and chum salmon counting towers and sonar projects on the Chena and Salcha Rivers are currently operational, and unlike last summer the weather is cooperating and allowing physical counts to occur as well as the sonar to operate.

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-CS-U-02-21 closes all waters of the Tanana River drainage to sport fishing for chum salmon. All chum salmon caught incidentally in the Tanana River drainage while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
  • Emergency Order 3-KS-U-05-21 closes all waters of the Tanana River drainage to sport fishing for king salmon. All king salmon caught incidentally in the Tanana River drainage while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
  • Emergency Order 3-NP-U-01-21 reduces the Minto Flats northern pike bag and possession limit.
  • Emergency Order 3-R-U-02-21 restricts Piledriver Slough and Moose Creek to catch-and-release fishing for all fish species.

Don't forget to bring your 2021 sport fishing license. Help maximize social distancing by purchasing your sport fishing license at the ADF&G Online Store. You can print your license from the comfort of your home. Also, be sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2021 Northern Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

Interactive Fishing Location Maps

NEW! Check out the #wefishak page on the ADF&G website for the new gofishak interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips!

For More Information

Call the Fairbanks office at (907) 459-7200 or the Delta Junction office at (907) 895-4632 with any questions.

Archives

Tanana Area Archives for:
Sep 02, 2021 Aug 26, 2021 Aug 19, 2021 Aug 12, 2021 Aug 03, 2021 Jul 28, 2021 Jul 22, 2021 Jul 15, 2021
Jul 08, 2021 Jun 30, 2021 Jun 23, 2021 Jun 17, 2021 Jun 10, 2021 Jun 03, 2021 May 27, 2021

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