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King "Chinook" Salmon Fishing

Season: Available all season, peaking in May & June.

Bag Limit: 1 Per Day, 2 Per Year (Minimum 28”)

King Salmon grow the largest and are the scarcest of the five species of Pacific salmon. They bear the highest amounts of Omega-3 oils of all salmon.  Due to their high oil content, King Salmon are considered to be the richest salmon in the world.

Subject to emergency openings & closures.  Certain emergency orders in the Juneau area allow for King Salmon retention under 28” and bag Limit that exceed the above stated Limit.

Chum Salmon “Dog Fish”

Season: Available from mid-June through mid-September, peaking in July through mid-August.

Bag Limit: 6 Per Day

Chum Salmon are the second-largest of the Pacific salmon.  Adult chums average 8-13 lbs., but 14-20 lb. fish are not that uncommon. Often called “Dog Salmon” due to their fierce dentition exhibited during spawning as well as the males tendency to bite and nip at each other. Chums are abundant in all regions of the state and very populous in the Juneau area due to hatchery production.

Silver Salmon “Coho”

Season: Available from Late June through September, peaking in Late July through September.

Bag Limit: 6 Per Day

Silver Salmon are the most acrobatic fighters of all the Pacific salmon.  They are exciting to catch as their acrobatic moves bring them to the surface and every jump lends them an opportunity to spit the hook.  Hang on tight and reel fast!  They are known for their distinct chrome-plated appearance when fresh from the sea.

Pink Salmon “Humpy”

Season: Available from mid-June through early September, peaking in July through mid-August.

Bag Limit: 6 Per Day

Pink Salmon are the most abundant of Pacific salmon and can be found in great numbers in almost every region of the Alaska.  Also called the Humpy (or Humpback) salmon due to its development of a distinctive hump during spawning.  Averaging 3-6 lbs with the occasional specimen weighing in at over 10lbs.  The pink salmon are often a favorite among the Hawaii and California anglers for the mature eggs (ikura) used in Pacific Rim cuisine.

Sockeye Salmon “Red”

Season: Late May-Mid June

Bag Limit: 6 Per Day

Sockeye salmon are one of the smaller species of Pacific salmon.  They measure 18 to 31inches in length and weigh 4-15 pounds. Sockeyes are also called Red salmon due to the deep red color they turn during their spawning stage.  While traversing the ocean towards their spawning grounds they mainly feed on plankton and can easily be caught commercially in gill or trawl nets.  Hook and line catches are quite incidental.

Black Cod ‘Butterfish’

Season: Available all season, peaking in May - June.

Bag Limit: 4 Per Day, 8 annual limit

Black cod is the highest valued finfish per pound in Alaska commercial fisheries.  This fish is by far the most popular catch for lodge guests due to its flaky and delicate texture and buttery taste. It is an excellent fish for smoking because of its rich oil content, can be cooked numerous ways, or it is commonly served raw (sashimi).

Halibut

Season: Available all season, peaking June - August.

Bag Limit: 1 Per Day, (40” and under OR 80” and over)

Pacific halibut is the largest species of flatfish. It is native to the North Pacific Ocean and it is fished by commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishermen. Huge Pacific halibut, sometimes called “barn doors”, can attain a length of over 8 feet and a width of over 5 feet. Halibut are born swimming like salmon, with eyes on either side of their head. As they grow (by the time they are six months old), one eye migrates to the right side and the young halibut begin swimming sideways, with both eyes on the top of their bodies. Their large size and delectable meat make them a popular and prized target for both sport and commercial fishermen.

Dolly Varden

Season: Available May - July, peaking Late June – Late July.

Bag Limit: 10 Per Day

The pink spotted Dolly Varden earned its name after a Charles Dickens character with a predilection for brightly spotted dresses.  Much like a salmon, the Dolly Varden hatch in freshwater gravel beds, spend time in the ocean feeding and growing, then return to freshwater to spawn.  At the lodge they are sometimes caught while salmon fishing, but one of the favorite evening activities of many guests is to take a light tackle spinning rod & reel and head to an area of the island we call the “spit”.  Fun to catch & delicious to eat!

Rockfish

Season: Available all season

Pelagic 5 per day, Slope 1 per day, Non-Pelagic no retention

There are several varieties of rockfish, and while they may taste slightly different from each other, all rockfish are delicious and mild-flavored. In our area we mainly catch Silvergray, Dusky, Quillback, Yelloweye, Tiger, China, Rougheye, Shortraker and Thornyhead.