Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 22, 2022

ADF&G News

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Freshwater Fishing

Salmon

• Sport fishing for king and chum salmon in the Tanana River drainage has been closed by emergency order due to late, poor runs in the Yukon River drainage. Any king or chum salmon caught incidentally cannot be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Arctic grayling

• Local rivers are finally beginning to clear up and fishing should improve with lower, clearer water. Arctic grayling have moved into their summer feeding grounds and should be receptive to small spinners and a wide assortment of dry flies.
• This weekend (June 25-26) marks the second of four consecutive weekends for the special youth-only grayling fishery in the Chena River. Anglers 15 years of age or younger may retain one Arctic grayling of any size per day on the dates listed below. Arctic grayling cannot be retained outside of the Youth-Only Fishery dates by anglers of any age. Remaining youth-only fishery dates are June 25-26, July 2-3, and July 9-10.
• Arctic grayling have moved into their summer feeding grounds in the Delta Clearwater and Richardson Clearwater Rivers near Delta Junction and good catches are being reported both streams. Fishing should remain good with warm, sunny weather and lots of insect activity.
• Alaska Range streams remain high and muddy due to continued melting of the heavy winter snowpack.

Northern pike

• Fishing for northern pike in the Minto Flats area (including the lower portions of the Tolovana and Chatanika river drainages and Minto Lakes) opened on June 1 and should be good for the rest of the summer. Be advised, water levels in Minto Flats remain high and there is limited to no dry land available for onshore use and/or camping.
• The daily bag and possession limit for Minto Flats northern pike (including the Tolovana and Chatanika river drainages and Lakes) has been reduced by an emergency order from five to two fish a day, only one of which may be 30 inches or longer. The reduced bag limit will remain in effect for the duration of the pike fishing season from June 1 to October 14.

Lakes

• Most Alaska Range Lakes are ice-free now including Fielding and Tangle Lakes. Fishing for lake trout should be good throughout the lakes as the water remains cool for the next week.

Stocked Lakes

• The crew at Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks has concluded its spring stocking program. A total of 24,273 fish were stocked in local lakes during the last week, including 13,055 catchable rainbow trout and 507 Arctic char. Over 100,000 fish have been stocked in local lakes in the past month.
• Some of the more popular Fairbanks-area-stocked lakes include Ballaine, Birch, Chena, Cushman, and Quartz. Ponds and lakes along Chena Hot Springs Road, the Steese Highway, the Richardson Highway, and Alaska Highway have also been stocked.
• You can find up-to-date information on what lakes have recently been stocked on the Alaska Lake Database.

Emergency Orders

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

• Emergency Orders 3-KS-U-13-22 and 3-CS-U-12-22 closed sport fishing for king and chum salmon on Monday June 20 in all waters of the Tanana River drainage, including the Chena, Salcha, and Goodpaster Rivers. All king and 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-NP-U-03-22 reduces the bag and possession limits to 2 northern pikes, only of which may be larger than 30 inches, in all lakes and flowing waters of the Minto Flats area, including the lower portions of the Tolovana and Chatanika drainages.
• Emergency Order 3-R-U-01-22 restricts Bear, Moose, and Polaris Lakes, Bathing Beauty Pond, Piledriver Slough, and Moose Creek to catch-and-release fishing for all fish species, and Kimberly Lake is closed to fishing.

Additional Tips

• 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 stocked 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.
• Don’t forget to bring your 2022 sport fishing license. Help maximize social distancing by purchasing your sport fishing license at the ADF&G Online Store and printing it off from the comfort of your home. Also, be sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2022 Northern Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

For More Information

• Call the Fairbanks office at (907) 459-7228 or the Delta Junction office at (907) 895-4632.