Area Sport Fishing Reports
Yukon

June 4, 2026

Local conditions

• Spring has arrived in Interior Alaska, and river breakup for the Yukon River concluded on May 25. Rivers and streams within the Yukon River drainage are running high and muddy and will continue to do so for another week or more as there is still ample snow in the higher elevations that will continue to melt with increasing ambient temperatures. The Steese, Dalton, and Taylor Highways are open for travel. Driving conditions on the Steese and Dalton Highways are rated as fair, and the majority of the Taylor Highway conditions are rated as good. However, for the Dalton Highway, due to recent snow melt combined with large truck traffic, drivers should be careful of large potholes and soft, muddy surfaces. Current Alaska road conditions can be found at Alaska 511. Although major highways may be drivable, side roads to reach the streams may not, so take care when accessing these fishing areas.

• In the White Mountains National Recreation Area, in order to prevent trail damage during the spring to summer transition, off-highway vehicles will be temporarily restricted from the Wickersham, Trail, and Quartz Creeks Trails and the 23 Mile Trail until June 15 or until BLM staff determine that the trails are sufficiently dry in order to prevent trail damage.

• For the second year in a row, a temporary closure of the Nome Creek Road will occur for 2026 for the section of road that leads to Ophir Creek Campground from the Nome Creek Bridge and will be in effect through September 30, 2026, or until construction is completed. The road will be open on weekends, federal holidays, and for moose hunting September 1-15. When the road is open, travelers should expect traffic controls and delays of up to 20 minutes. For updated information check Nome Creek Road Construction.

• Be aware if you plan to float the Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River from the Nome Creek put-in in the White Mountains National Recreation for 100 very remote miles to a gravel bar used as a take-out by aircraft, that a hazardous new river channel has opened before the Borealis-LeFevre cabin. Also, for those planning to float the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River, be aware that during 2023 a potentially hazardous new river channel was discovered a few miles downriver from the Upper Birch Creek Wayside (MP 94.1) that may require an approximately ¼ mile portage. Before floating either of these two streams, contact BLM at 907-474-2200 for updated information. New river channels can take years to clear debris and become safe for boating.

Freshwater Fishing

Arctic grayling

Arctic grayling are fairly ubiquitous throughout the Yukon River drainage.

• Nome Creek is a popular Arctic grayling sport fishery that can be accessed from the Steese Highway. In lower Nome Creek and other Beaver Creek tributaries, Arctic grayling are concluding late May spawning activities and post-spawning fish will soon migrate into upper tributary summer feeding areas, which will afford good sport fishing opportunities once streams clear. NOME CREEK IS RESTRICTED TO CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHING ONLY FOR ARCTIC GRAYLING. See Local Conditions for current access conditions and restrictions for 2026.
• Birch Creek can also be accessed from the Steese Highway and is also referred to by its Gwitchin’ Athabascan name, the Ikhèenjik (Ih-hey-n-jik) River.
• Streams within the Fortymile River drainage that are accessible from the Taylor Highway will also afford good fishing opportunities once the water clears.
• Dalton Highway streams are further north and are running high and turbid with melting snow and the Arctic grayling are in the midst of spawning activities. The best fishing opportunities along the Dalton Highway are during July to mid-September.
• Popular gear used to capture Arctic grayling are shiny spoons when the streams are wide enough and colorful jigs for narrower streams and creeks. Mosquitos are just beginning to appear in the upper tributaries of Nome and Beaver Creeks, Ikhèenjik River, and Taylor Highway streams, and flies mimicking these pesty blood-suckers would also be enticing to a hungry Arctic grayling that did not feed during spawning activities.
• Watch our video How to Fish for Arctic Grayling to learn what you will need to know to successfully target Arctic grayling.

Northern pike

Northern pike are also concluding spawning activities and, like Arctic grayling, are fairly ubiquitous throughout the Yukon River drainage.

• Good fishing for northern pike can be found in slower moving waters like the lower portion of the Ikhèenjik River that crosses at mile 147 of the Steese Highway.
• Other popular fishing locations for large northern pike are at the mouths of major tributaries that drain into the mainstem Yukon River such as the Dall, Ray, Nowitna, and Innoko Rivers, and Hess Creek. The Yukon River is currently running high and muddy with lots of debris. Sport fishing conditions will improve for these voracious, visual predators once the water lowers and clears at the mouths of these tributaries.
• Popular lures that fishers have reported success in capturing northern pike include buzzbait, booyah, jitterbugs, shiny spoons, and shads. Northern pike have rows of sharp teeth, so be sure to bring pliers and a spreader in order to safely remove hooks, especially from larger fish.
• Be sure to watch the new ADF&G video, How to Fish for Northern Pike, for tips on how to successfully target and handle big pike.

Sheefish

• Sheefish that have overwintered in the lower Yukon River are migrating upstream to summer feeding areas and as the water in the Yukon River drops and clears, good fishing opportunities can be found at the mouths of major tributaries such as the Innoko, Koyukuk, Nowitna, and Porcupine Rivers. Large, shiny spoons are popular lures for capturing sheefish such as crocodiles, pixies, and daredevils as well as various shads that mimic juvenile prey.

Salmon

King salmon

• Due to a preseason projection for a below-average king salmon run in the Yukon River, the sport fishery for king salmon was closed on February 19 throughout the Yukon River drainage, including the Tanana River. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing.

• Because king salmon runs in the Yukon River continue to experience historically low runs, including those crossing the border into Canada where approximately 40-50% of the salmon spawn, an ongoing 7-year agreement (effective until 2030) has closed Canadian-origin Yukon River Chinook salmon to all fishing, including subsistence, commercial, personal use, and sport fishing. This agreement applies only to Canadian-origin king salmon in the mainstem Yukon River and if inseason stock assessment information indicates that king salmon escapement goals and subsistence needs will be met, sport fishing restrictions may be relaxed in Yukon River tributaries commensurate with run strengths.

Chum salmon

• For summer chum salmon, the preseason forecast is for a poor run that will not meet spawning run goals due to the low run sizes of the 2021 and 2022 parent years. Therefore, effective May 15, all waters of the Yukon River drainage (excluding the Tanana River drainage, which is a separate management area) are closed to sport fishing for chum salmon.

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-Y-01-2026 closes the Yukon River drainage, excluding the Tanana River drainage, to sport fishing for king salmon. 3-KS-U-01-26 closes the Tanana River drainage, which is a separate management area.
• Emergency Order 3-CS-Y-04-2026 closes the Yukon River drainage, excluding the Tanana River drainage, to sport fishing for chum salmon

Catch-and-release techniques

• Because fish typically grow and reproduce more slowly at high latitudes and elevations, please use proper catch-and-release techniques to ensure the survival of the released fish such as:
  • Use lures with a single hook and crimp down the barb. Do not use bait.
  • Land the fish with a soft net and keep the fish in the water when removing the hook.
  • To release the fish, hold it gently facing into the current or in water without a current to gently cradle the fish and move it slowly back and forth until it swims away under its own power.

For More Information

ADF&G is mobile. You can purchase and display your fishing license, record your annual harvest (where applicable), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today! You can also purchase your fishing license through the ADF&G Online Store and print it off at home. Also, before heading out, be sure to review the Emergency Orders and the 2026 Northern Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing.

Check out ADF&Gs goFishAk interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat, angler, and floater access areas and tips.

For moe information, please call Yukon Area Management Biologist Lisa Stuby at 907-459-7202.