Fishing Southcentral Alaska

Directory of Alaska Fishing Guides and Charters

Alaska Fishing Guide and Charters

Southcentral Alaska is home to most of the state’s population and some of the state’s most famous fishing areas. The region of southcentral Alaska extends from Prince William Sound area to The Cook Inlet region. It includes coastal waters and watersheds from just east of the Copper River to Bristol Bay. Southcentral is a varied land and seascape. Inland, the land is hilly or mountainous and carved by major rivers, including the Copper, Matanuska, Susitna, Kvichak, and Mulchatna. The Susitna River valley, sculpted by ancient glaciers, is one of the few with a broad floodplain. Mountains or rolling hills dominate the view in much of the area. The continent’s tallest mountain, McKinley/Denali is the tallest of many peaks along the divide between this region and the watersheds to the north and west.

Southcentral Alaska provides the widest spectrum of fishing in the state for both saltwater and inland fishing. Salmon runs flood coastal waters and the larger rivers. Saltwater fishing provides a seasonal abundance of halibut in the Gulf of Alaska, Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound waters, as are various species of bottom fish.

Alaska Charter Fishing

Salmon runs are strong along the coasts with King salmon over 50 pounds. The different types of species that can be found along the coast are the Chinook/king salmon, sockeye/red salmon, chum salmon, coho/silver salmon, and pink salmon. In addition to the strong presence of salmon are the ling cod, rockfish, and the famous giant halibut. The Kenai Peninsula in the last 25 years has grown a reputation for its incredible salmon and halibut fishing. Because of this popular fishing destination it has been designated a special management area to protect its natural resources and manage the recreational use of its fisheries.

Remember the key to any successful fishing trip is local knowledge of the area. When planning a charter fishing trip, inquire into the experience of the Alaskan guide, what the package includes, what type of boat you will be using (For a more detail list, click on this link)

Directory of Alaska Fishing Guides and Charters

Alaska River Fishing

Grayling, northern pike, char, Dolly varden are found in many inland streams in southcentral Alaska. Grayling and burbot are found in some streams, and lake trout and pike are commonly found in southcentral lakes.

It is highly recommended to hire a guide on rivers as they are trained in backcountry/survival skills. Rain can dramatically increase water levels making it dangerous for the sole angler.
Directory of Alaska Fishing Guides and Charters

Climate

Climate varies in this region. Prince William Sound is known for its amount of rainfall; however, it is noticeably less than southeast Alaska, but more then the dry Interior. Summers are cool and moist with temperatures ranging anywhere from the 50's to the 80's. Coastal temperatures are cooler than most inland locations.

Transportation

In Anchorage, many hotels offer shuttle service to the airport and the railroad station. To travel by vehicle outside of Anchorage, visitors take the Glenn Highway, which can take you to Eagle River and Girdwood. Anglers staying to the Kenai Peninsula, will use the Seward Highway when traveling to Seward, Moose Pass and Hope located on the eastern side of the peninsula. The Sterling Highway branches off of the Seward Highway and heads first west and then south. Towns and communities along the Sterling include Cooper Landing, Sterling, Soldotna, Kenai, Kasilof, Ninilchik, Anchor Point and Homer. Reachable by boat and plane from Homer are Halibut Cove and Seldovia.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough covers the area north and northeast of Anchorage. The Glenn and Park are the main highways and will take you to the towns of Big Lake, Palmer, Talkeetna and Wasilla. Because the borough includes the mighty Matanuska and Susitna rivers, it's often called the Mat-Su Valley.

Valdez, the main port in the Sound, and Whittier are reachable by road, but reaching Cordova requires a plane or boat. The Marine Highway System's ferry Bartlett serves all three towns.

The easternmost portion of Southcentral Alaska includes the Copper River Valley and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. This area is accessible via the Glenn or Parks highways.

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