Alaska has over 3 million lakes and countless rivers across a vast wilderness larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined. The Kenai River produces world-famous king salmon exceeding 60 pounds, while Bristol Bay offers the largest sockeye salmon runs on Earth. Remote fly-in fisheries in the Brooks Range and Alaska Range provide trophy Arctic char, grayling, lake trout, and northern pike in pristine settings, and the coastal waters of the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska offer world-clas
Fishing Regulations
- Alaska regulations are area-based: the general limits below apply to Southeast Alaska/Yakutat; Southcentral, Interior, Arctic and Western areas have their own limits in the ADF&G regs book.
- Freshwater sport fishing season is open year-round except for king salmon closures between Cape Fairweather and Dixon Entrance.
- Check emergency orders before fishing (adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR) - many salmon limits are set in-season.
- Harvest records required: steelhead trout, sharks, and (for nonresidents) king salmon, lingcod, sablefish, demersal shelf rockfish.
- Alaska residents follow NONRESIDENT limits when fishing in the EEZ (3-200 nautical miles offshore).
- All saltwater vessels must carry a functional deepwater release device for rockfish; unreleased rockfish must be returned at depth or 100 ft.
- No person may possess filleted Pacific halibut on board (max 2 ventral + 2 dorsal + 2 cheek pieces with skin attached).
- Charter operators and crew may not keep king salmon or lingcod while clients are aboard.
- Motorized vehicles may not cross waters where salmon/trout/Dolly Varden/Arctic char/sheefish/whitefish spawn without a Fish Habitat permit.
20 species limits are shown per spot in the CatchTales app.
Pick a region below to explore its fishing spots.
Gulf Coast & Copper River Region
Cordova Inlet, Valdez, Yakutat, Copper River
37 spots
Interior Alaska Region
Fairbanks Inlet, Denali, Yukon River, Tanana
54 spots
Northwest & Arctic Region
Nome Inlet, Kotzebue, Brooks Range, Barrow
37 spots
Southcentral & Kenai Region
Anchorage Inlet, Kenai River, Homer, Seward
37 spots
Southeast Alaska Region
Juneau Inlet, Ketchikan, Sitka, Inside Passage
40 spots
Southwest Alaska Region
Kodiak Inlet, Bristol Bay, Aleutians, Katmai
40 spots
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