The world renowned Situk River is home to the largest steelhead run in Alaska. Brent Kesey is one of those anglers and I've spent many hours with him casting flies in the clear, cold waters of southeast Alaska. The myriad of snags, trees, wood, makes their escape even more difficult to defend against and many a trophy will come to hand as sheered mono. The process to implement this new strategy is ongoing. Situk steelhead are not considered large, robust fish by any means and fish are generally "cookie cutters" between 28 and 33 inches. It was a portent of things to come. TTY:907-228-6222 I turned the handle of the reel, felt the slow thump of the blade in the soft rod tip, felt it load up. Our famous saltwater halibut, lingcod, & black bass fishing is second to none. connected to the .gov website. And I got it. Vernon and I had planned this trip on a whim. Support. Nearly half of all steelhead caught in Alaska annually are caught in the Situk. Learn about our work in Alaska at tu.org/project/alaska. And each one we valued more than the last. . Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock So many times in my life I have found snappy fish with other snappy fish. Our famous saltwater halibut, lingcod, & black bass fishing is second to none. We teamed up with Legend guide Danny Stonedahl for an 18 mile each day float down t. It also is recommitting to meaningful consultation with local tribes, is investing up to $25 million in sustainable economic and community development efforts and plans to fully reinstate the 2001 Roadless Rule. Blog by Gary Lewis Contact Brocade for assistance. The Situk depends on snowmelt and near constant rain in the early spring. Trade-Up Assets, Riverbed Authorized The Situk cuts its magical swath through pristine Southeast Alaska rainforest and its unique substrate, flow, mineral content all combine to create the most ideal steelhead stream imaginable. United States government. Most anglers have a pretty good idea of what it takes to catch a steelhead on a bead, but there are intricacies and nuances. Spot a place that cant be fished from the boat? One of three steelhead hooked in front of a root wad, this 8-pounder went airborne time and again to throw the hook. It might be the land of giants but a person should keep expectations in check. Know the local, April-Oct.: dolly varden; April/May/June: rainbow trout and steelhead; July: rainbow trout, pink and chum salmon; Aug./Sept. Those might be the two biggest steelhead you will ever see, I said. Our drift boats were staged at the bridge, waiting. It took real persistence and attention to detail to hook fish on the third day. Fishing on six fabulous river systems of the Yakutat Alaska area is just a short flight with our air taxi partner. When planning your steelhead guided Alaska fishing trip, the river is accessible via the town of Yakutat which sees two flights daily from Alaska Airlines via Seattle or Anchorage. angling for steelhead and four species of pacific salmon and trout on the Situk River. Miller has big dreams of some day tapping into that traffic and taking . Steelhead. Boat after boat goes over the same fish. 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. The shape of this river is what gets me, he said. in-house laundry facilities, you'll enjoy the comforts of home with the exhilarating thrill of America's last frontier. This web-exclusive blog was originally posted on our site in April 2020. Jake looked at me. In addition to strong runs of all five species of Pacific salmon, the Situk hosts incredible Dolly Varden char, cutthroat, resident rainbow trout and Alaska's largest run of steelhead. Single-hooks only. A member of the support team will reply as quickly as possible. These trips are strictly walk and wade excursions and require a certain degree of hiking ability and wading mobility. Steelhead runs are categorized as spring, summer, fall, or winter and in southeast Alaska only fall and spring runs occur. 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. This new direction is wonderful news for places like the Yakutat Forelands and so many others across the Tongass National Forest. Controller for SteelHead, NetIM By exploring long straight stretches of water, using polarized glasses and targeting schools of char, a fly-rodder can find great sport. YAKUTAT, Alaska It was pitch black, freezing and a headlamp was required to follow the snow covered trail. Australia. Truly a trip of a lifetime. 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. The Situk cuts its magical swath through pristine Southeast Alaska rainforest and its unique substrate, flow, mineral content all combine to create the most ideal steelhead stream imaginable. This river, defined as it is by wood which can move around from day to day or week to week, changes so much that good holes come and go faster than any river I have ever seen. Dolly Varden are easily taken on beads and egg imitations when they match spawn in the river, and small swung streamers that resemble baitfish. 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. They can catch big numbers of fish when the conditions are right. Moose hunting may be very good. Still, there are known holes that hold fish 100 percent of the time and those places feel the most pressure. Sink. Touched by the water. : coho and pink salmon, and rainbow trout; Oct.: coho salmon, rainbow trout, and steelhead; Nov.-March: steelhead. And how many know about the work that is being done to ensure these fisheries are around for generations to come? In that spirit of sportsmanship, anglers share techniques in the few restaurants, down at the hardware store, over a coffee at Fat Grandmas or between beers at the bar. Photos by Gary Lewis & Trey Scharp. Having fished steelhead in the Situk River for the past nine straight years, my mission was clear: I needed to hike a couple of miles upriver to a few reaches of the river that had always held ample numbers of these often-elusive fish. 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. 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. None of these rivers receive huge returns of steelhead so success is hit and miss and largely dependent on favorable weather conditions and run timing as well as persistence. The Rodeo Hole is a pinch point right now and very difficult to jet boat through. Fax:907-228-6215, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tongass/recarea/?recid=79172, Intentionally snagging and/or retaining a snagged fish is illegal. I post-holed my way down the bank, washed the ice off my rod, and tied on a choice fly. It is flexible and set up to enable communities to advance projects they need, such as energy and other infrastructure projects, while conserving natural resources and habitat for fish and wildlife, which is the foundation of southeast Alaskas fishing and tourism economies. Trey, a 40-something from Wyoming, his dad, Vernon Scharp, my dad, Don, my brother-in-law Shannon Winters, and our friend Gary Davis shoved oars into oar-locks and threw our tackle bags into bow and stern. XFL semifinals: Defenders roll Sea Dragons, set up title showdown with Renegades. 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. Call usabout family discounts, senior rates, & package fishing trip offers. More than 1,000 such instances exist across the Tongass, impeding access to approximately 250 miles of salmon and trout habitat. Together, the waters of the Yakutat Forelands have ideal habitat for incredible fish productivity and species diversity. Each steelhead is like a miracle, a gift out of time, a prehistoric primal beast. This area includes numerous streams and rivers that have similar characteristics as the Situk: clean water, a meandering channel, perfect spawning gravel and slow tributaries. River and Stream Fishing. Steelhead Trout. 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! Tony Davis of Kodiak Custom Tackle admires a Situk River steelhead, one of several that were eager to sample a variety of spinners in different colors. Upstream habitat is critical for highly migratory fish like salmon. website belongs to an official government organization in the Map created by Mark Hieronymus. Going against the will of many anglers and hunters, and more than 96% of all public comments, the Forest Service repealed the Roadless Rule on the Tongass in 2020 at the request of the State of Alaska, which sought to greatly expand industrial clear-cut logging of old-growth forest. Caught in the lower river, this fish was part of a group of grabby steelhead holding in front of a root wad. Thats quite the accomplishment in a fish-filled state. Here at the top of the float, the runs were narrow and the water skinny, the aluminum skins of the drift boats scraped gravel as we slid from run to run, getting the feel of the boats. The small difference in elevation from its headwaters to the ocean creates meandering riffle-and-pool habitat throughout the river. Share sensitive information only 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. The Situk drains a gentle plain of muskeg and trackless forest, as well as a lake fed by melting snows. The guides depend on other fishermen if something goes wrong in 14 miles of river. Ketchikan, AK 99901-6591, Phone:907-225-3101 Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world come to the Glacier Bear Lodge each. We tend to look for the same kind of water and we tend to fish the same way. Chest waders are a must. Located near the small community of Yakutat, Alaska, the Situk River is a unique and prolific river even by Alaska standards. The Situk offers many miles of accessible fishing locations to the angler willing to hike. Our spacious dry rooms allow you to, , offers the ultimate in reasonably-priced World-Class, The natural-run Yakutat steelhead fishing. With 4 species of wild salmon, the largest wild steelhead run in Alaska, resident Rainbows, Cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden, its no wonder so many anglers venture from far and wide to fish it. Each year we start our fishing season in mid-March for spring steelhead in the world-famous Situk River. Toll. These fish winter beneath Situk Lake . P.O. The rainbow-striped 13-pounder (as told by the length and girth formula) took a deep-running Wicked Lures spinner and battled back and forth across the river, thrashing at the surface, taking dad a considerable ways downstream before it was brought to hand. Haunted by the next fish. You will be redirected to the Riverbed Cloud Portal. Our famous saltwater halibut, lingcod, & black bass fishing is second to none. Anyone have recommendations on specific gear to use? This trail joins up with the 10 mile ATV Trail and continues on to the Middle Situk Cabins. Visitors can bring inflatable rafts, kayaks and canoes. 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. about family discounts, senior rates, & package fishing trip offers. Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. Later, they return as adults to spawn in their natal streams. My first cast answered that query by producing a nice, dime-bright steelie. Like any good steelhead river, there was lots of gravel, but there were no large boulders. Most of the Yakutat Forelands is within the Tongass National Forest and considered a roadless area, which means it has been spared from industrial logging and most road construction. Map Information. Camp where the river makes a slow turn and steelhead stack like cordwood along a shelf. Most Situk anglers arrive from some other place and they do not bring tents and ground cloths and small camp stoves. All five species of Alaskas Pacific salmon can be found in Yakutat, in addition to rainbow trout, steelhead trout, coastal cutthroat trout, and Dolly Varden. The rain had stopped and the river was dropping on Thursday, which was our best day. Glacier Bear is an excellent home base as it is centrally located and offers nice rooms, hot showers, good food, and a bar. CHECK LATEST PRICE. The average length of a Situk River steelhead is approximately 30 inches, and in some years as many as 5% of the population is estimated to be of 'trophy' size (greater than 36 inches). 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. The Xirrus product line has been acquired by Cambium Networks. Color and sizes of spinners, beads, worms, etc? I called my friend Gary Davis over to see the fish. Fish average 10 12 pounds with fish in the 17 20 pound range not uncommon. The bulk of the fish are 8-12 lbs. Top 11 Salmon Fishing Rods: 1. Along the way a spur trail leads . Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. Prior to our trip we watched the temperatures in Yakutat and inside the 10-day forecast, we began to anticipate each days float. The spring run typically begins mid March, really picks up speed the last week of April and tapers off by mid . The repeal left critical areas like the Yakutat Forelands, and the areas incredible fish runs, at risk. They were huddled with Ty Wyatt, a conservationist, guide and steelhead junkie who grew up in Lakeview, Oregon. As soon as it was gone, I fired a cast into the same run, hooked one and lost it. Sixteen miles long, the Situk River is unlike any other steelhead river Ive fished. We saw them also beneath the log jams. 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. When steelhead are in the best lies, dollies tend to bunch up in soft water adjacent to current seams. How much does a Situk River fishing charter cost? The change in the forecast changed how we would approach the water. Shannon fought the fish in close after a five-minute battle and then turned it loose in the soft water. The Situk drains a gentle plain of muskeg and trackless forest, as well as a lake fed by melting snows. On the second day, the flotilla starts again at daybreak, but you are already ahead of them. Products, Report The Situk River has two steelhead runs: one in the spring and one in the fall. Fighting through a log jam on the Situk River in southeast Alaska. 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. With an annual return of 4,500-8,000 fish, the Situk hosts the largest steelhead run in the state. Authorized The largest steelhead I've seen landed in the Situk was 46 inches, and I've heard rumors of a couple of larger specimens. A classic fall-run Situk River steelhead. But most would simply take off downstream, and sometimes upstream, never to be seen again. There. A steelhead streaked from the tailout, up under a cutbank. They moved when the light was low morning and evening and held close to cover during the day. After releasing it I was quickly into another, and after an hour I tallied nine hookups, landing five. The health of the run is arguably a big factor in my recent success. and Management, Cloud Steelhead & Steelhead Cloud Alaska Fishing Steelhead Fishing Alaska. Situk River Fly Fishing For Spectacular Spring Steelhead - Yakutat, Alaska, this Alaska road trip that will lead you through some of the most treasured tiny towns, Kepler Park - The History, The Future & The Fish, El Capitan Cave, Alaska's largest abovegroundcave, This Campsite Inside Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park Named Most Beautiful In America, 17 Incredible Alaska Field Trips Many Kids Took And Will Love Even More Now. And research indicates that a lot of Situk fish are caught many times. Do the different thing to achieve different results. Every year anglers flock to Yakutat to cast their chance at catching a trophy steelhead or to fill their freezer with wild salmon. Over the course of the rivers run, it only loses 1,640 feet of elevation. The Situk River is one of the most prolific and popular salmon and trout systems in the National Forest System. In comparison to other anadromous species of Pacific salmon, they have a fairly complicated life history. That night I lost count after 40 hookups and that was only about halfway through our epic four-hour venture full of blistering runs and dramatic leaps. The fall flood significantly changed the Upper Situk, and . I dont know if it is their competitive nature that kicks in or what, but if one steelhead bites, another may bite from the same pod of fish. Information, Mailing Tongass National Forest Sustainable Cabin Strategy, 648 Mission Street, Suite 110 The average cost for a four hour trip in Situk River is N/A, while the average cost for an 8 hour trip is $1889. This cabin is an ideal destination for hunters and anglers. Log jams can actually fence boaters out of good water. And then it began to look like we were going to get the best weather of the year so far. Once spring fish enter the river, however, they are preparing to spawn and often can be very difficult to hook as they appear seemingly uninterested in any terminal tackle. 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. Support, Solution This was not always the case and my first few years were simply a challenge to find a fish, let alone hook one. Mailing Address: Riverbed Global Support Email: support@riverbed.com. The fish are numerous and the action fast! By late April, it can depend on rain to stay fishable and floatable. Performance Management, Digital KastKing is a relatively new player in the market which some of you might not have heard about. Rube & Mary are the greatest hosts! Dave nodded. Fortunately, the Forest Service is now listening to Alaskans and is moving to restore roadless-area protections for the Tongass. 13. Roads have already left their mark on Yakutat. After a mile of drift, we fished harder. Marian Giannulis is the Alaska Communications & Engagement Director for Trout Unlimited. From $175.00. We do have drift boats for you, he said. The Yakutat Alaska area offers Alaska's finest river & saltwater fishing without the high cost factor of more remote destinations. Stream-side cabin accommodations. ) or https:// means you've safely That was 40-something Trey Sharp, and he never said how many fish he caught. The fish we saw averaged ten pounds, but now and then we surprised one that would go 16 pounds. When was this article written? Did Pats make Mac Jones happy? KastKing Krome Salmon/Steelhead Fishing Rod. 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. Finally I reached my destination just as a few flakes of snow started to fall and light in the sky began to gather. Cooper Landing, AK. Shaped by steelhead. 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. The Roadless Rule has been a successful tool for preventing further damage like this from being created. From there transportation is provided and you can get checked into the Glacier Bear Lodge. Situk River Steelhead Fishing, May 2020. Prices can vary based on trip duration, boat size and amenities, and the type of fishing your group is looking to do. I suspect our best numbers were put up by the lone angler in our group who stuck with beads. 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. There are also guided boating trips and boat rentals available from nearby lodges. Sink. Country / Region. This section of river extends for two miles and is closed to all fishing for most for the steelhead season. LockA locked padlock Federal Building The Situk can be crowded in the spring. The spring steelhead season extends through the end of May, during which, the saltwater fishing halibut . The world renowned Situk River is home to the largest steelhead run in Alaska. is considered the best in the world. This area is natures perfect design for a fish factory. The river also has substantial sockeye and silver salmon runs. Closer to the weekend, and with the river low and clear, our hook-up ratios dropped considerably. 7 Days, 6 Nights: $3,500/person5 Days, 4 Nights: $2,500/person, Minimum 2 peopleDepart from from Yakutat, AlaskaIncludes lodging, (907) 488-7517 - Situk River is the most famous of Yakutat's rivers. One favorite blends three strands of yarn steelhead orange, light orange and white. Huge trees lay on their sides with limbs bare and curled, like rib cages of long-dead dinosaurs. There is no road that follows the water. 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. And with the clear days the fish had pulled tight into the wood of the log jams. Tracking fifth-year options for 2020 first-rounders: Which were picked up, and which were declined? Steelhead. Unlike Pacific salmon, however, steelhead do not always die after spawning and can repeat the cycle several times over. But like most successful anglers, he is slow to part with information and nearly as tight-lipped as the fish we seek. United States. Documentation, Network A highly prized game fish, steelhead spawn from California to Alaska and south along the Asiatic Coast. Fishing on six fabulous river systems of the Yakutat Alaska area is just a short flight with our air taxi partner, Yakutat Coastal Airlines. You can submit asupport case online. Fish average 10 - 12 pounds with fish in the 17 - 20 pound range not uncommon.
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