Here we go for season 34 on the river banks of the Nushagak River.
Camp is up and running, fish are starting to show up. Still have room for last minute additions.
Nushagak King and Sockeye Season 2024
Spring Chinook Season
It’s almost here, Springer season. Time to get out the heavy gear and tackle. Watch the video below and see how we cut plug herring and troll the Columbia for spring Chinook. Dates are available still, email or call to get a day fishing on the Columbia River, while it’s still open.
Booking your Alaska Salmon fishing trip
How to Pick the Perfect Alaska Fishing Lodge or Guide
Alaska has five species of salmon — each runs at different times, fights differently, and tastes different. Start here so you don’t end up flossing Sockeyes when you really wanted screaming Silvers.
Sockeye (Reds) Best-eating salmon on the planet. Caught mostly by “flossing” (long leaders drifted through wall-to-wall fish). It’s legal and fills freezers fast, but it’s more harvesting than sport. Ask your outfitter straight-up: “How exactly will we fish for Reds, and is there backup water for other species?”
Coho (Silvers) The angler’s favorite. Explosive takes on spinners, spoons, jigs, and flies — often in gin-clear water. Peak runs late July–September. Best fight-to-filet ratio in Alaska.
Chum (Dogs) Underrated. Ocean-bright Chums hit hard and smoke like a dream. Usually caught while King fishing — bonus fish for the smoker.
King (Chinook) The main event. Biggest, meanest, and still great on the plate. They’ll eat bait, plugs, flies, or hardware and empty a reel in seconds. King fishing varies wildly by river and year — we’ll cover the proven big-fish hotspots in Part 2.
Bottom line: tell your lodge or guide exactly what kind of fishing turns you on. The right operation will match your target species, style, and dates perfectly instead of just selling you “Alaska salmon.”
Part 2 (best King rivers & lodges) coming next.