From kids catching 8-inch stocked fish to giddy grownups landing a 30-pounder on a remote stream, rainbow trout are a big part of Alaska's fishing culture.
Description
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), with their dark backs, reddish-pink side bands and black speckles, attract anglers from around the world, especially to southwestern Alaska. The clear streams and lakes of the Bristol Bay area produce trout up to 42 pounds.
Rainbows are native to Kodiak Island, to Southeast Alaska and to Southcentral: the Kenai Peninsula, waters north of Cook Inlet and the Copper River drainage. The stocking of hatchery trout has extended the rainbow's range to near Fairbanks. Many small lakes are stocked in Southcentral.
Alaska record
42 pounds, 3 ounces, caught in 1970 on Bell Island by David White.
Tips for fishing
Fishing success is greatest in the spring and fall, that is, before and after the large salmon runs. Rainbows feed voraciously and are willing to hit a wide variety of lures, baits and flies. Weighted spinners and wobbling spoons are preferred by many anglers.
Fly fishers find that streamers, muddlers and egg patterns fished near the bottom do the trick; black and red, especially fluorescent red, seem to add something of value.
Best time to fish
Southcentral Alaska
- Anchorage, Palmer and Wasilla areas -- August, September, October
- Susitna, Talkeetna and rivers flowing into western Cook Inlet -- August, September, October
- Kenai Peninsula streams and lakes -- April, May, June, July, August, September, October
- Prince William Sound streams / Copper River basin / Upper Susitna basin -- June, July, August
Inside Passage
- Inside Passage streams and lakes, north of Stikine River -- No favorite month.
- Inside Passage streams and lakes, south of Stikine River -- May, June
Western, Interior and Northern Alaska
- Bristol Bay streams and Kodiak -- August, September
- Fairbanks and Tanana River drainage -- July, August, September
- Arctic Alaska and Yukon-Kuskokwim drainage-- July, August, September
Sources of information include the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
