Tanana Area Sport Fishing Report - August 01, 2008

August 10, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Tanana Area 

Report from Alaska Fish and Game

It should be noted that fishing is expected to be extremely poor due to the recent flooding in all areas of the Tanana River drainages. Rivers/Streams

Salmon

Fishing for kings is very slow in the Chena River, and in the Salcha River. The fish counting panels were pulled from the Chena River during the evening of 29 July. The water conditions at the Salcha River counting station have caused the counts to be suspended. You can monitor salmon run numbers on many rivers throughout the state by visiting our Fish Counts page.

The daily bag/possession limit for king salmon in the Chena River is one fish over 20 inches and ten fish 20 inches or less. The Chena River is closed to salmon fishing upstream from the ADF&G markers located 300 feet downstream of the Chena River dam. The Salcha River is closed to salmon fishing upstream of the ADF&G markers located about 2.5 miles upstream of the Richardson Highway Bridge. Fishing from the Richardson Highway Bridge over the Salcha River is prohibited.

Anglers are reminded that both king and chum salmon may be carrying radio tags. These fish will be marked with yellow, pink, or green “spaghetti” tags (so named because they are the size and shape of a strand of spaghetti) near the base of the dorsal fin. Anglers catching a fish with a tag or internal radio transmitter should call Fish and Game, Commercial Fish Division at 459-7274.

Try using brightly colored spoons/spinners, multicolored egg patterns, or Okie Drifters. Bait may be used in both the Chena & Salcha Rivers, but only on single hooks with a gap size greater than 3/4 inch.

Resident Species

Fish for Northern Pike at the mouths of sloughs and in deep, slow-moving holes. Try using daredevils, cyclops, red eyes, or any other flashy spoon. Usually by this time of year George Creek (the outlet of Lake George) is too low for travel into the lake, but because of all the past rain in the Delta area, George Lake should be high enough to allow travel to the lake. George Creek can be expected to drop to normal levels if dry weather prevails in the Delta Area. The pike fishing is usually good at George Lake.

Try fishing Arctic grayling in the upper Chena River, Chatanika River, or the Delta Clearwater River. Remember, however, that the Chena & Delta Clearwater Rivers and all their tributaries are catch & release only for Arctic grayling. Arctic grayling tend to hang out in holes just below fast moving water or riffles. When fly fishing for Arctic grayling, try small dry flies or nymphs. When spin fishing and all else fails with Arctic grayling, try using white twister tails.

Lakes

Stocked lakes are providing some good fishing. The high water produced by the continuous rain showers in the interior is not always conducive to good fishing. If the weather breaks this weekend, fishing should be more productive. Early morning and mid to late evening fishing outings will probably yield the best results.

You can pick up a booklet on the over 100 stocked lakes of the Tanana Valley at the Fairbanks, Delta or Tok ADF&G office. Other stocked lakes brochures include: Fishing the Stocked Lakes of Fort Greely, Fishing Quartz Lake ,and Fishing the Rivers and Lakes of the Upper Copper/Upper Susitina. You can also access these and many other publications on the web.

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