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MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
Hunting & Fishing
Hunting and fishing are popular sports in Alaska and a way
of life for many residents. Both resident and nonresident
sport fishermen and hunters in Alaska must be licensed and
should be familiar with regulations before going out in the
field. Current hunting and fishing regulations, fees, licenses
and information are posted on the Alaska Department of Fish
and Game home page at www.state.ak.us/adfg/adfghome.htm.
There are 26 game management units in Alaska and a wide variation
in both seasons and bag limits for various species. Big game
tags are required for residents hunting musk-ox and brown/grizzly
bear and for nonresidents hunting any big game animal. Big
game includes black and brown/grizzly bears, deer, elk, mountain
goats, moose, wolves and wolverines, caribou, Dall sheep,
musk-oxen and bison. Nonresident hunters in Alaska must be
accompanied by a registered guide or a close relative over
19 who is an Alaska resident when hunting brown bear, Dall
sheep or mountain goats. Small game animals include grouse,
ptarmigan and hares. Fur animals that may be hunted are the
coyote, fox and lynx. Waterfowl are also abundant. There is
no recreational hunting of polar bear, walrus or other marine
animals.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game brochure "Planning
Your Hunt" is available online. This highly recommended
brochure lays out what hunters must do before, during and
after their hunt.
Fishing
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Fishing
the Kenai River near Morgan's Landing.
© Kris Graef, staff |
The biggest challenge for visiting fishermen probably where
to fish, with the number of fishing destinations in Alaska
well beyond the capability of most anglers to visit. After
location the second most difficult choice is timing. Although
most fishing enthusiasts focus their trips between April and
October, when the weather is generally more mild, the fish
have something to say about timing. The Alaska Department
of Fish and Game Sportfish Division offers online help with
both location and timing at www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/html/sf_home.htm.
For seasonal fish runs, go to Sport Fishing Run Times. For
seasonal updates on what's biting where, see the Sport Fishing
Reports for the Southcentral, Southeast and Interior regions.
Sport fishing updates are posted throughout the season for
management areas within these regions. There are also archive
links to seasonal summaries and past years fishing reports.
Visiting fishermen are advised to first identify whether they
want to fish fresh water or salt water and their desired species.
Salmon are the most popular sport fish in Alaska, with all
5 species of Pacific salmon found here: King (chinook), silver
(coho), pink (humpy), chum (dog) and red (sockeye). Other
sport fish include halibut, rainbow trout and steelhead, Dolly
Varden and Arctic char, cutthroat and brook trout, northern
pike, and lake trout.
Knowing the kind of fish and fishing you want may help plan
your trip. For example, king salmon fishing in Southeast is
restricted to salt water, but cutthroat are common on the
mainland and every major island in Southeast. Alaska’s
Interior has the largest Arctic grayling fishery in North
America. Northern pike is the most sought-after indigenous
sport fish in Interior Alaska after the Arctic grayling. These
popular game fish are the main sport fish species in the Tanana
River drainage.
Using the services of a local fishing guide may also help
your fishing trip. These guides often know where to go when
nothing's biting at the popular spots.
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