Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 14, 2023

ADF&G News

• 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, halibut), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. You can also purchase your license and dipnetting permits online at the ADF&G online store.
• Also, check out ADF&G's new gofishak interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat and angler access tips.

Sport Fishing

• The special youth fishery in the lower Chena River, downstream of the Chena River flood control project, will begin this weekend for four consecutive weekends. 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 17-18, June 24-25, July 1-2, July 8-9. 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.
• High alpine lakes such as Fielding, Summit and Tangle Lakes are opening up and will likely be ice-free by the weekend. Fishing is usually quite good along shoreline areas just after ice-out before water temps warm.
• After a delayed break up followed by significant rains, most local rivers have begun to drop and clear. River fishing will be very good as Arctic grayling set up in their summer feeding habitats.
• Staff at the Ruth Burnett Sport Fish Hatchery in Fairbanks began stocking lakes in the the Tanana River drainage on May 19^th and will wrap up stocking by this Friday. Through June 12, a total of 286,450 fish have been stocked, which includes 102,187 catchable rainbow trout, 59,620 fingerling rainbow trout, 114,288 fingerling coho salmon, and 10,355 Arctic char. These fish have been stocked into 61 lakes around the Fairbanks and Delta Junction area. Try fishing small pieces of shrimp under a bobber, flashy spoons, or spinners to entice fish to bite. Tangentially, many stocked lakes also have great camp sites and a few have our cabins for reservation.
• 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. The water levels in Minto Flats are high and there is limited dry land available for onshore use and/or camping.
• Northern pike fishing in waters that are open to fishing can be productive at this time of year. Try big, flashy spoons to attract their attention.
• Burbot fishing downstream from the mouths of tributaries in the Tanana remains good this time of year, although will slow down as temperature and water levels rise. Try fishing bait on the bottom of the river in back eddy areas and slow-moving waters in the mainstem of the Tanana River. Bait is currently not allowed in any tributaries of the Tanana River due to the closure of the king salmon fishery this summer.

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-6-23 and 3-CS-U-7-23 issued March 29^th closed the sport fishery for king and chum salmon in all flowing waters of the Tanana River drainage effective April 5th. In addition, the use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries through September 30.
• Emergency order 3-R-U-08-23 issued April 24 restricts Kimberly Lake to catch-and-release fishing only for all fish species due to PFAS contamination. Any fish caught while sport fishing in Kimberly Lake must be released immediately.
• Emergency order 3-NP-U-10-23 issued May 1 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.

Additional info

• 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.
• Be sure to follow the ADF&G Sport Fishing Interior Alaska Facebook page to get the most current information about fishing in the area.
• Check out ADF&G’s public use cabin reservation system to see about renting a free public use cabin on one of five different stocked lakes in the Delta Junction area, as well as George Lake.
• 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.
• Be sure to review the 2023 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.