Caught in the lower river, this fish was part of a group of grabby steelhead holding in front of a root wad. (Situk River) for mid May, fishing the salt for 1-2 days and the river for 4. One favorite blends three strands of yarn steelhead orange, light orange and white. This web-exclusive blog was originally posted on our site in April 2020. Contact Brocade for assistance. connected to the .gov website. YAKUTAT, Alaska It was pitch black, freezing and a headlamp was required to follow the snow covered trail. Only then did someone point out that in fact the fish was a steelhead and a record, at that.). Contact Cambium for assistance. Stumbled upon this article, thought it was very well done. Hello, I am writing from Spain, we will go in April 2020, I am surprised about fishing alone, I thought that many people fish in Situk at that time! The lodges depend on happy customers. From $175.00. Rain puts you to sleep, as long as the tent isnt leaking. Yakutat Lodging | Alaska Fishing | Yakutat's Situk Inn Cheers, Courtney. day trips to the magnificent Hubbard Glacier by boat or plane provide the one-of-a-kind experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Alaska Fishing Steelhead Fishing Alaska. 0011 800 4 782 3822. They were huddled with Ty Wyatt, a conservationist, guide and steelhead junkie who grew up in Lakeview, Oregon. Can street race king Perez challenge Verstappen for the title? Moose hunting is good to excellent. The Situk River in Southeast Alaska has the longest running set of biological data and scale samples for steelhead in the state and is of particular interest because it supports the largest known . To break out of that cycle, plan to launch in early afternoon. Controller for SteelHead, NetIM From there transportation is provided and you can get checked into the Glacier Bear Lodge. 32 lingering post-draft questions: Will Lions have regrets? With an annual return of 4,500-8,000 fish, the Situk hosts the largest steelhead run in the state. Parts of steelhead resolve into whole fish. The Situk depends on snowmelt and near constant rain in the early spring. By exploring long straight stretches of water, using polarized glasses and targeting schools of char, a fly-rodder can find great sport. Drifting down this clear water river with is pools and runs provide the perfect arena for catching one of the hardest fighting, fast action fish there is to catch. So many times in my life I have found snappy fish with other snappy fish. The process to implement this new strategy is ongoing. During the past 15 years, the run of metalheads in the Situk River has grown from an estimated low of 338 in 1993 to a high of 15,003 in 2006, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The shape of this river is what gets me, he said. Most of the spawning in the Situk River takes place between the mouth of the stream and Situk Lake, a distance of about 19 river miles. It was written in April 2017. Documentation, Network Rube & Mary are the greatest hosts! Glacier Bear is an excellent home base as it is centrally located and offers nice rooms, hot showers, good food, and a bar. Single-hooks only. Eagle Cabin, Tongass National Forest - Recreation.gov More than 1,000 such instances exist across the Tongass, impeding access to approximately 250 miles of salmon and trout habitat. Unlike Pacific salmon, however, steelhead do not always die after spawning and can repeat the cycle several times over. Its better to look at the first trip to the Situk as exploratory or even as a pilgrimage. Every one in our group caught steelhead, but the same could not be said for many of the fishermen gathered in the bar on our last evening. Steelhead Fishing Packages - Monti Bay Lodge & Resort - Yakutat - AK Tongass National Forest Sustainable Cabin Strategy, 648 Mission Street, Suite 110 Riverbed Support: Contact Support Located near the small community of Yakutat, Alaska, the Situk River is a unique and prolific river even by Alaska standards. We do have drift boats for you, he said. That was 40-something Trey Sharp, and he never said how many fish he caught. Steelhead Trout. Although the float can be done in one, long day, typically anglers will take two or three days to do the trip, fishing as they float and camping near good concentrations of fish. Mailing Address: Check out our favorite flies for fishing the legendary Situk River in Yakutat for steelhead. In July, the Forest Service announced its new Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy. Under this new strategy, the Forest Service is ending large-scale old-growth logging and refocusing its efforts on restoration, recreation and resiliency. We took turns rowing through log jams and one time in a long, shallow rapid when I was on the sticks and Shannon was watching for rocks, we missed one, or rather, we didnt miss it. wildernessenterprises@gmail.com, Joe Letarte ~ 7445 Chena Hotsprings Rd ~ Fairbanks ~ Alaska 99712 Over the next two days the water would drop and the fish would get spookier. and Management, Cloud Steelhead & Steelhead Cloud These prodigious runs of fish, largely a function of the high quality habitat found in the Situk watershed, draw both anglers and wildlife. Anyone have recommendations on specific gear to use? Click "OK" to continue. Did Pats make Mac Jones happy? It was a portent of things to come. ( Steelhead Fishing Alaska | Alaska Steelhead Fishing Trips About a third of the run arrives in late October through November and December. Alaska Steelhead 2023 Situk Guide Danny Stonedahl - YouTube Cooper Landing Fishing Guide, LLC. We saw their shapes at the end of the runs where they staged over gravel spawning beds. When steelhead are in the river, people seem to forget about the Dolly Varden, but dollies can save a trip when the steelhead are scarce. When a road is poorly constructed and an inadequate culvert is installed at a stream crossing, it can prevent salmon and other fish from traveling through, eliminate access to important spawning and rearing habitat, increase erosion and the risk of flooding, and create significant additional maintenance costs. A highly prized game fish, steelhead spawn from California to Alaska and south along the Asiatic Coast. To contact Gary Lewis, visit his website here. Kesey grew up fishing steelhead in Oregon and has caught more steelhead than anyone else I know. Alaska Fishing Guides My first cast answered that query by producing a nice, dime-bright steelie. In Yakutat, from March through April, the buzz is about chrome bullets fresh from the salt and rainbow-splashed, deep-bodied wild fish, some of the biggest in the world. P.O. Large log jams and root wads are both barriers and habitat. Riverbed SteelHead CX 5055 Series | WANSolutionWorks.com Over the course of the rivers run, it only loses 1,640 feet of elevation. This section of river extends for two miles and is closed to all fishing for most for the steelhead season. Thats quite the accomplishment in a fish-filled state. Because fall steelhead are not preoccupied with spawning rituals and are coming into the river to overwinter and spawn the following spring, they are active feeders and can be very aggressive. An official website of the The next days would be clear and warm. Later, they return as adults to spawn in their natal streams. Do the different thing to achieve different results. Most meals were cooked on gravel bars or in parking lots. And how many know about the work that is being done to ensure these fisheries are around for generations to come? Official websites use .gov A .gov The health of the run is arguably a big factor in my recent success. Photo courtesy of Trey Scharp. Prices can vary based on trip duration, boat size and amenities, and the type of fishing your group is looking to do. The river also has substantial sockeye and silver salmon runs. Each year we start our fishing season in mid-March for spring steelhead in the world-famous Situk River. Shannon fought the fish in close after a five-minute battle and then turned it loose in the soft water. Another large fish, well over 20 pounds followed it up out of the deep water. During peak migrations the catch rates of steelhead on the Situk River are often in excess of 10 fish per day, per angler, especially on guided trips. Just being able to see the fish does not always mean they can be caught and there is always a certain degree of timing and perfection to every hook up which makes each fish very rewarding. My friend Josiah Darr, a steelheader and a scribe greeted me in the bar to say he was fishing the river these last two weeks of April. Both conventional tackle and fly fishing work well. Situk River is the most famous of Yakutats rivers. These guys are the most popular fish on the market. The natural-run Yakutat steelhead fishing is considered the best in the world. Two roads access the river, one at the mouth near the ocean and one about 12 miles upriver. Email Us, Board of Fisheries and Game: Actions & Activities, Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program, Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), About the Division of Commercial Fisheries, Western Alaska Salmon Stock Identification Program (WASSIP), Online General Season & Registration Permits, Subsistence and Personal Use Fishing Permits, CSIS Community Subsistence Information System, The Technical Papers and Special Publications Series. The Situk River: An Alaska Steelhead Mecca, Alaska Department of Fish Most of these anglers likely know that Yakutat is known as the Yakutat Fish Factory and is one of the best places in Alaska to catch these fish, but how many know why this place is a hotbed for salmon and trout populations? When was this article written? Call usabout family discounts, senior rates, & package fishing trip offers. While we were there, both fish moved up into the next long run, headed upstream to spawn. Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. The flick of a fin might reveal a holding lie, a blue-black back, the shine of chrome beneath a lateral line. The Situk drains a gentle plain of muskeg and trackless forest, as well as a lake fed by melting snows. But good drifting weather is not necessarily good fishing weather. Performance Management, Digital And each one we valued more than the last. Roads have already left their mark on Yakutat. Jake, a tugboat captain, and Dave, a nurse from Soldotna, had just come off the river after three chilly weeks in a wall tent. Our famous saltwater halibut, lingcod, & black bass fishing is second to none. I set the hook into a chrome bright ten-pounder that thrashed three feet above the surface in a horizontal tantrum and crashed back in a spray of foam. Dolly Varden are easily taken on beads and egg imitations when they match spawn in the river, and small swung streamers that resemble baitfish. Accelerator Controller, Certify We fish this in one day which means we try to concentrate our efforts on the most fish-laden sections of the river and we fish long 10-12 hour days. When the float streaked sideways, he set the hook. This was not always the case and my first few years were simply a challenge to find a fish, let alone hook one. Yakutat is one of the rainiest places on earth, but as our fishing days approached, we saw breaks in the clouds. The Forest Services new Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy will realign the agency away from outdated and costly practices that damage the forest and important fish and wildlife habitat, towards management activities that benefit local communities, the southeast Alaska economy, and our fish and wildlifelike hiring local businesses to fix culverts that do not meet fish-passage standards. Tie into a long egg loop knot then dunk it and wring it out and trim it up to a smooth round ball. Over the course of the river's run, it only loses 1,640 feet of elevation. Fish average 10 - 12 pounds with fish in the 17 - 20 pound range not uncommon. Alaska Fishing Trips, 2021 Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker, Website by OTC Web Design Girdwood, Alaska | SEO by SocialSEO. We tend to look for the same kind of water and we tend to fish the same way. Particularly when the water is low, anglers tend to pound the best steelhead water, ignoring the places where Dolly Varden seek refuge. In a constantly changing river, there are good holes people overlook simply because they are heading to a known or a favorite spot. Some stocks of steelhead can travel hundreds of miles upriver to reach their spawning grounds. Situk River Steelhead Fishing - Alaska Wilderness Enterprises, LLC Country / Region. Targeting Situk River steelhead in Alaska They're also the reason fly fishing - arguably, sportfishing in general - exists. Sink. Five or six boats may go over a pod of fish in 15 minutes. I called my friend Gary Davis over to see the fish. One trip for me and I have life-long friends. Water levels on the Situk River continue to be very low. 680 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94107 Global Support Phone: +1.415.247.7381 | Email: support@riverbed.com, Account Know the local, April-Oct.: dolly varden; April/May/June: rainbow trout and steelhead; July: rainbow trout, pink and chum salmon; Aug./Sept. The Situk offers many miles of accessible fishing locations to the angler willing to hike. One of three steelhead hooked in front of a root wad, this 8-pounder went airborne time and again to throw the hook. The only consolation was now he could cut 10-pound mono with that tooth. Map Information. Experience Management, Control 50, Man United in pole position for top four, but can't take their eyes off Liverpool, The VAR Review: Red cards for Jota, Skipp; Richarlison penalty claim, Zags, Vols have gained spots in men's WTE Top 25, Titans quarterback Will Levis opens up about emotional draft day, After hoopla of going No. Shaped by steelhead. How much does a Situk River fishing charter cost? The mainstem Situk River below Situk Lake at 69 m elevation and the lower portions of its larger tributaries are slow flowing, meandering, and of slight slope (<1.5 m/km). Still, I continued on, motivated by the fact I was on the world-famous Situk River near Yakutat, Alaska, in mid-April carrying my favorite fly rod and a trove of proven flies in search of steelhead. Spectacular steelhead fishery in Yakutat good way to kick off the Situk steelhead are not considered large, robust fish by any means and fish are generally "cookie cutters" between 28 and 33 inches. year to enjoy the splendors of the Alaska back country, and to experience world class stream. 3Customer will be charged at the local call rate. Board of Fisheries and Game: Actions & Activities, Threatened, Endangered, and Diversity Program, Alaska Resources Library and Information Services (ARLIS), About the Division of Commercial Fisheries, Western Alaska Salmon Stock Identification Program (WASSIP), Online General Season & Registration Permits, Subsistence and Personal Use Fishing Permits, CSIS Community Subsistence Information System, The Technical Papers and Special Publications Series. And we can arrange the shuttles. That was good enough for us. After rearing anywhere from one to four years in freshwater, these fish migrate to sea and grow at accelerated rates. In comparison to other anadromous species of Pacific salmon, they have a fairly complicated life history. Haunted by the next fish. Targeting Situk River steelhead in Alaska, Embiid sits out Game 1 vs. Celts with knee injury, Yankees put Judge on injured list with hip strain, Serena announces she's pregnant with 2nd child, Snoop Dogg joins Sparks' bid to buy Senators, LeBron 'locked in' as rivalry with Steph resumes, College baseball player hit by stray bullet at game, Jets bolster OT group by signing veteran Turner, Calipari thanks Bryants for package honoring Gigi. Steelhead. After releasing it I was quickly into another, and after an hour I tallied nine hookups, landing five. Fortunately, the Forest Service is now listening to Alaskans and is moving to restore roadless-area protections for the Tongass. Situk River is the most famous of Yakutat's rivers. On your own time, or accompanied by one of our experienced Yakutat fishing guide partners, you'll have absolutely the best time of your life. Toll. Everywhere, rainbow-striped shadows darted through grasping roots and submerged branches, spooky in the clear water. Riverbed's trained technical support staff is committed to providing world-class expertise and assistance. KastKing is a relatively new player in the market which some of you might not have heard about. Mostly I listened, to stories of big fish, biology and steelhead beads. With daily housekeeping service, in-house laundry facilities, you'll enjoy the comforts of home with the exhilarating thrill of America's last frontier. If youd like to get involved with efforts to conserve the Tongass National Forest visit americansalmonforest.org. The Situk is world renowned, but it is just one of the rivers that make Yakutat so special. Like any good steelhead river, there was lots of gravel, but there were no large boulders. Fax:907-228-6215, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tongass/recarea/?recid=79172, Intentionally snagging and/or retaining a snagged fish is illegal. There is heavy equipment in the boat launch area so anglers are being asked to not park near the launch or on the launch and yield space so the equipment can move around. However, part of my success is the result of trial and error and by paying close attention to other successful anglers. There could be fresh fish in the river any day of the season and the first person on any stretch of water has the best shot at the biter. I post-holed my way down the bank, washed the ice off my rod, and tied on a choice fly. My dad caught what may have been the biggest fish of the trip on the third day when the water was skinny. Thats why the rule is popular on the Tongass. in-house laundry facilities, you'll enjoy the comforts of home with the exhilarating thrill of America's last frontier. The white yarn in the middle of the yarnie should make it appear to glow when seen against the evening sun. It made for tough fishing. Situk Steelhead are among the most prestigious anadromous game fish on the planet and they command special respect and lore that only the most disserting and accomplished angler can embrace. Tracking fifth-year options for 2020 first-rounders: Which were picked up, and which were declined? "After Tony hooked his second fish in the first 10 minutes of our float, I started to believe in the magic of metal," author Randall Bonner writes of their experience. Lesser fish darted to the sides while the fish, which I estimated at 28 pounds, assumed the best holding lie. Huge trees lay on their sides with limbs bare and curled, like rib cages of long-dead dinosaurs. Redemption, SteelCentral As soon as it was gone, I fired a cast into the same run, hooked one and lost it. Our drift boats were staged at the bridge, waiting. Before you pick up the phone, consider our other support options such as the knowledge base, user documentation, and online cases, as they may be quicker and easier for you. Accessible by daily jet service,Yakutat's Situk Lodge, located in the beautiful community of Yakutat, Alaska, offers the ultimate in reasonably-priced World-Class Alaska fishing adventures on the famous Situk River for five species of natural-run salmon. Fall fish enter the Situk from August through December, while spring fish come in as early as March and as late as mid-June (with the majority arriving in late April and early May). The Situk gets two runs of wild steelhead, one in the spring and the other in the fall/winter. Cooper Landing, AK. Trade-Up Assets, Riverbed Authorized On your own time, or accompanied by one of our experienced Yakutat fishing guide partners, you'll have absolutely the best time of your life. During the past 15 years, the run of metalheads in the Situk River has grown from an estimated low of 338 in 1993 to a high of 15,003 in 2006, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The small difference in elevation from its headwaters to the ocean creates meandering riffle-and-pool habitat throughout the river. Sixteen miles long, the Situk River is unlike any other steelhead river Ive fished. XFL semifinals: Defenders roll Sea Dragons, set up title showdown with Renegades. Thanks, Matt! Over the years I have fine-tuned my technique and maximized my efficiency at hooking steelhead in this river; now a dozen hookups per day is not uncommon. LockA locked padlock They are a Chinese company that focuses on producing top quality products. with their comfortable bedrooms for two or three, fully-equipped private kitchens for each group, spacious dining, lounging & TV areas, & picturesque decks with BBQ grills will immeasurably enhance your Alaskan adventure. CHECK LATEST PRICE. Server, Transaction Analyzer Packet Trace Warehouse, NetOne Bundle for Box 16075 ~ Two Rivers ~ Alaska ~ 99716, Black Bear Hunting | Alaska Caribou Hunting | Coastal Brown Bear | Hunting | Dall Sheep Hunting | Glacier Bear Hunting | Goat Hunting | Grizzly Hunting | Alaska Big Game Hunting | Moose Hunting in Alaska | Alaska Waterfowl & Wingshooting, Fairbanks Ice Fishing |Fairbanks Silver Salmon Fishing |Fairbanks Steelhead Fishing | Fairbanks Arctic Grayling Fishing | Fairbanks Fishing Guides | Faribanks Cutthroat Trout Fishing | Fairbanks Northern Pike Fishing | Fairbanks Rainbow Trout Fishing, Scenic Float Trips | Contact | Directions | River Conditions & Weather | Alaska Hunting Guides. My brother-in-law caught one that day and lost a couple of others. These trips are strictly walk and wade excursions and require a certain degree of hiking ability and wading mobility. The SteelApp product line has been acquired by Brocade. They are warm and personable, and truly care about making your trip memorable. Raven Cabin, Tongass National Forest - Recreation.gov If we had been on the river the day before, I might have hooked ten. The largest steelhead I've seen landed in the Situk was 46 inches, and I've heard rumors of a couple of larger specimens. Trout vs. Salmon: All You Need to Know (Updated 2023) By late April, it can depend on rain to stay fishable and floatable. The Situk River: An Alaska Steelhead Mecca, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Skip to Main ContentSkip to Site NavigationSkip to Section Navigation State of Alaska myAlaska Departments State Employees Statewide Links Alaska Department ofFish and Game Search Terms Alaska Department of Fish and Game Were they fish? The first day would be cloudy, after days of rain. Yakutat Steelhead Fishing Situation On The Situk Dependent On Water Situk River Fly Fishing For Spectacular Spring Steelhead - Yakutat, Al Bank anglers fish up from the bridge and down from the bridge and the first mile upstream and downstream can be crowded. Sitting in the airport on the way back, all I can think of is how I wish my trip wasn't over and how soon I can get back to Yakutat Alaska. The spring steelhead season extends through the end of May, during which, the saltwater fishing halibut . Drifting down this clear water river with is pools and runs provide the perfect arena for catching one of the hardest fighting, fast action fish there is to catch. Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. About 2 miles down the trail, there is a side trail that provides access to the confluence of the Old Situk and Situk Rivers, a popular site for steelhead, sockeye and dolly varden fishing. This is comprised of both winter and spring-run fish with their spawn occurring in April and May. On your own time, or accompanied by one of our experienced Yakutat fishing guide partners, you'll have absolutely the best time of your life. Alders stacked like toothpicks, cedars, hemlocks and spruces, swept down on giant floods bounded nearly every run. It originates from the Situk and Mountain lakes and flows 18 miles through old-growth forests and muskeg meadows into the Gulf of Alaska and the North Pacific Ocean. From your home base here in Yakutat, Alaska. are not uncommon. There are only two or three good access points and anglers jam into boats at the same time every day to compete for the same fish. Spot a place that cant be fished from the boat? Learn about our work in Alaska at tu.org/project/alaska.