Alaska.com: Alaska's Travel Website

Alaska offers sportfishing everywhere from the southernmost Inside Passage to the streams of the Arctic.

The most popular species -- salmon, halibut, northern pike and rainbow trout/steelhead -- are found in many places.

Lesser known species -- arctic grayling, arctic char and sheefish, for example -- are widely distributed.

Much fishing in the broad Anchorage area of Southcentral Alaska is accessible by road -- an example is the famous Kenai River -- and the same goes for parts of the Interior around Fairbanks. Along the Inside Passage of Southeast, a boat is a big help.

Air taxis and charter services provide access to Alaska's vast bush, where no roads go and where boat travel is time consuming or difficult.

Anglers in any region of the state can reach remote streams, lakes and shores by air, but planes are needed for getting around in Southwestern and Northern Alaska. Fly-in trips can be for a day; they can also involve staying at a wilderness lodge. Simple and elaborate fishing packages can be arranged.

Charter boats in coastal towns take anglers to the salmon and halibut. An individual or a group can hire a boat (often known as "six-packs" for their six-member fishing parties), but often individuals or small groups are brought together to fill out the party of five or six.

Fishing derbies let salmon and halibut anglers compete for thousands of dollars in prizes. Look for derbies in many towns along the coast, including Ketchikan, Juneau, Valdez, Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor and Kodiak.