Anchorage is a metropolitan city located in south central Alaska and is Alaska's largest city. Whether you're a local or a tourist, Anchorage is a prime location for fishers looking to hook some salmon. Salmon is so plentiful in Anchorage, it is not uncommon for locals to stock their freezers full of salmon or for visitors to return home with an ice cooler full of fresh fish.
Fishing License
In Alaska, all anglers under the age of 16 are required to obtain a fishing license before fishing. Alaskan citizens who have maintained a primary residence in Alaska for the preceding 12 months and who are 60 years old and older are also not required to have a license to fish.
To obtain a license, you must fill out an application, which requests information such as name, address, physical description and residency and pay the licensing fee. If you want to fish for King salmon, you must purchase a King Salmon Stamp. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game accepts checks, money orders, Visa and MasterCard. The license is good through December 31 of the year the license is issued.
Upon sending the application to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, you are eligible to fish, but you must keep a photo identification on your person at all times. You will receive the official license within six weeks of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game receiving your application.
The application can be acquired online (see Resources).
Types of Salmon
There are three types of salmon that can be fished for in Anchorage. Chinook, or King salmon, is Alaska's state fish and is the largest Pacific salmon, often weighing 30 lbs. or more. King salmon have black spots on their on back and around their dorsal and caudal fins. Their gum lines are also frequently black.
The Alaska silver salmon (also known as coho salmon) usually weigh 8 to 12 lbs., are a bright silver color with some black spots on their back and caudal fin, and have white gums.
Pink salmon (also known as humpy salmon) is a commonly caught fish by sports and subsistence anglers. They tend to weigh about 4 lbs. are pink and have black spots on their back and tail fins.
Fishing Dates
King salmon can be caught year-round in Anchorage. Ice fishing for king salmon is common during the winter months. Coho salmon are available from July through September, while pink salmon are available from July through October.
Limits
Anglers may take only five king salmon 20 inches or longer from Cook Inlet per season. Any king salmon caught in the salt water portion of the Cook Inlet south of Bluff Point from October 1 through March 31 do not count. In stocked lakes, the daily possession limit is 10 salmon per day. Flowing-water king salmon have a limit of one per day. Salmon 18 inches or longer is three per day; Coho salmon of this size are two per day.
Locations
Examples of Anchorage salmon fishing locations include Turnagain Arm Springs, Bird Creek, Twentymile River, Campbell Creek, Clear Creek, Kenai River and Ship Creek.
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