Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana

September 13, 2024

Fall Fishing Report-Final

This is the last fishing report for the 2024 summer fishing season. This fishing report will be updated when lakes freeze up and ice fishing gets underway. For current seasonal information, please contact the Fairbanks office at (907) 459-7228.

Local conditions

• Water levels in the Tanana River are dropping as glaciers have minimal melting with cooler temps. Water levels in some tributaries have risen with recent rains and may be dingy.
• Get out and enjoy the beautiful fall colors while wetting a line before the snow flies!

Whitefish

• Winners of permits in the Chatanika River Personal Use Whitefish Spear Fishery lottery (listed here) may begin fishing as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 13. The fishery will close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, October 14. There is an annual household limit of 10 whitefish with no size limits. The limit may include any combination of humpback whitefish, round whitefish, and least cisco.
• Detailed information about this fishery can be found on the Chatanika Personal Use Whitefish Spear Fishery page.

Arctic grayling

• Fishing for Arctic grayling should improve as water clears. Try fishing during the warm periods of the day when insect activity is at its peak.
• Small spinners, jigs with white or black colors and spoons are effective lures for Arctic grayling while any assortment of dry flies will entice fish to bite.
• Be sure to watch the How to Fish for Arctic Grayling video on the ADF&G Youtube channel for helpful tips about tackle and technique for both spin fishing and fly fishing.

Burbot

• Burbot fishing in the Tanana River should start picking up with cooler temperatures and as burbot chase the spawning whitefish runs.T ry fishing eddies or other slack water in the main stem Tanana River. Bait is allowed in the main stem Tanana River but not in tributaries.

Lake trout

• As lake waters cool, lake trout will be more active near the surface. Lake trout will spawn between late September and late October just before ice develops. Try fishing weedy shorelines near drop-offs in the early morning and evening. Bathymetric maps can help you find the deeper water and structure. Maps can be found at the Alaska Lake Database.
• Fielding Lake is closed to lake trout fishing September 1-30.

Northern pike

• Northern pike fishing should improve with the cooler temperatures. Pike fishing in the Tolovana River drainage, including Minto Flats, Minto Lakes and the Chatanika River is open through October 14. 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.
• If you're interested in targeting pike along the road system, try fishing inCushman Lake at Tanana Lakes Recreation Area or Little Harding Lake.

Salmon

• All sport fishing for chum, silver and king salmon is closed in the Tanana River drainage, including the Chena, Salcha and Delta Clearwater Rivers. The use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries.

Stocked lakes

• Stocked lake fishing should be good going into the winter season as the lakes are cooling and fish are moving around actively feeding before winter sets in.
• Staff at the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery stocked several local lakes around Fairbanks in the past few weeks. Approximately 25,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout were stocked in Ballaine Lake, Birch Lake, Chena Lake, Cushman Lake, Mile 47.9 Chena Hot Springs Road Pond and Olnes Pond off the Elliott Highway. This batch of hefty fish averaged a little over 12 inches so they are rod benders that will fill a frying pan.
• Hatchery staff also stocked almost 20,000 fingerling rainbow trout, 9,000 fingerling Arctic char, and 5,800 fingerling lake trout the last 2 weeks. Additional stocking of catchable chinook salmon and of lake trout and Arctic char fingerlings will occur over the next week.
• Try fishing a fly about six to eight inches below a casting bobber. This is a useful technique for those times when the fish are feeding on insects, but you don't have a fly rod. You can also have success fishing salmon eggs or pieces of shrimp beneath a bobber. Small spinners will also attract the attention of rainbow trout and Arctic char.
• 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. You can also consult the Tanana River Drainage Stocked Lakes Fishing Guide to find locations and directions to all stocked lakes in the Interior.
• Many stocked lakes also have great camp sites or you can reserve a free ADF&G public-use cabin at one of five stocked lakes in the Delta Junction area.

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 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.
• Emergency Order 3-CS-U-18-24 issued August 14th closed the sport fishery for chum salmon in all flowing waters of the Tanana River drainage effective August 16th. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries through December 31st.
• Emergency Order 3-SS-U-20-24 issued August 20th closed the sport fishery for coho salmon in all flowing waters of the Tanana River drainage effective August 22nd. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries through December 31st.

ADF&G News

• You can 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.
• Check out the ADF&G Youtube channel for a variety of how-to videos, as well as videos that highlight the research projects undertaken by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.

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