Area Sport Fishing Reports
Tanana

July 26, 2024

Sport fishing

Local conditions

• After a week of hot, dry weather, the weekend and upcoming week look to be cool and damp. Local rivers are mostly clear now.

Whitefish

• The Chatanika River Personal Use Whitefish Spear Fishery Permit lottery application period will begin on Thursday, August 1 at 12:01 a.m. and will close on Thursday, August 15 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, applicants must apply online. There will be 300 permits issued this year.
• The fishery will open at 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 13 and 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 at the ADF&G website.

Arctic grayling

• Improved river conditions should make for great fishing.
• White jigs, fished just off the bottom, can be extremely effective lures for Arctic grayling at this time of year.
• Small spinners 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.

Lake trout

• Lake trout are more likely to be found in deep water at this time of year. Bathymetric maps can help you find the deeper water and structure. Maps can be found at the Alaska Lake Database.

Northern pike

• Northern 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.
• Try big, flashy spoons to attract the attention of pike.

Salmon

• Chum and king salmon are returning to the Chena and Salcha Rivers, but the Tanana River drainage is currently closed to fishing for king salmon. The use of bait is prohibited in all Tanana River tributaries.

Stocked lakes

• More than 70 lakes and ponds around Fairbanks and Delta Junction have been stocked with catchable-size (9-10 inches) rainbow trout and Arctic char for the summer angling season. These are put-and-take fisheries, so get out and harvest some fish. Take a frying pan with you for a shoreside lunch of fresh rainbow trout.
• Try fishing small pieces of shrimp or salmon eggs under a bobber, or use small, flashy spoons or spinners to get fish to bite.
• 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 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.
• The Chatanika River Personal Use Whitefish Spear Fishery Permit lottery application period will begin on Thursday, August 1 at 12:01 a.m. and will close on Thursday, August 15 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, applicants must apply online. Read the full Advisory Announcement online.

ADF&G News

• Don't forget to purchase your 2024 sport fishing license and king stamp! 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), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and much more on your mobile device. You can also 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.