About a third of the run arrives in late October through November and December. 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. Sink. The Situk River: A Steelhead Anglers Dream Information, Mailing 32 lingering post-draft questions: Will Lions have regrets? But like most successful anglers, he is slow to part with information and nearly as tight-lipped as the fish we seek. Fishing on six fabulous river systems of the Yakutat Alaska area is just a short flight with our air taxi partner. Mailing Address: As the day's first sunshine hit the water, I began wading downriver in search of fresh fish and indelible memories. 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. Email Us. Dolly Varden are easily taken on beads and egg imitations when they match spawn in the river, and small swung streamers that resemble baitfish. 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. Were they fish? Whether you are fly fishing, drift fishing, or spin casting, we will put you on the fish!This unique early season trip puts you on a slow moving wilderness stream, ideal for fly or spin fishing for NativeRainbow and Cutthroat Trout. connected to the .gov website. This trail follows the river for a mile then turns inland, crosses the Old Situk, and returns to the river at the Forest Service's Eagle and Raven Cabins. Stumbled upon this article, thought it was very well done. Most anglers have a pretty good idea of what it takes to catch a steelhead on a bead, but there are intricacies and nuances. Steelhead Fishing Packages - Monti Bay Lodge & Resort - Yakutat - AK Stream-side cabin accommodations. Fighting through a log jam on the Situk River in southeast Alaska. 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. The lodges depend on happy customers. are not uncommon. 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 spring run typically begins mid March, really picks up speed the last week of April and tapers off by mid . The Situk offers many miles of accessible fishing locations to the angler willing to hike. The Situk River: An Alaska Steelhead Mecca, Alaska Department of Fish We tend to look for the same kind of water and we tend to fish the same way. Our famous saltwater halibut, lingcod, & black bass fishing is second to none. KastKing is a relatively new player in the market which some of you might not have heard about. Support, Solution Upstream habitat is critical for highly migratory fish like salmon. CHECK LATEST PRICE. This is comprised of both winter and spring-run fish with their spawn occurring in April and May. More than 1,000 such instances exist across the Tongass, impeding access to approximately 250 miles of salmon and trout habitat. They can catch big numbers of fish when the conditions are right. 2UIFN toll free numbers are not supported on mobile devices in China, Malaysia, and Denmark. Anyone have recommendations on specific gear to use? By late April, it can depend on rain to stay fishable and floatable. On days 2 and 3, all the best holes had guides and their clients. You can submit asupport case online. Alaska Steelhead 2023 Situk Guide Danny Stonedahl - YouTube Red Pipe status culverts impede fish migration. This new direction is wonderful news for places like the Yakutat Forelands and so many others across the Tongass National Forest. Some of the rivers inhabitants are very difficult to deal with when hooked and will make a mortal man look like a monkey as they take over. Stay on good water or fish down ahead and get to the launch early and race up to the launch again. If youd like to get involved with efforts to conserve the Tongass National Forest visit americansalmonforest.org. Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. The fall flood significantly changed the Upper Situk, and . From there transportation is provided and you can get checked into the Glacier Bear Lodge. 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. Support. P.O. 1, Panthers' Bryce Young is all 'business now'. They're also the reason fly fishing - arguably, sportfishing in general - exists. Steelhead Trout. Kenai Peninsula Steelhead Fishing is primarily a fall pursuit and takes place on the southern Kenai Peninsula rivers: The Anchor, Deep Creek, Ninilchik and the Upper Kasilof. I post-holed my way down the bank, washed the ice off my rod, and tied on a choice fly. Situk River Steelhead Fishing - Alaska Wilderness Enterprises, LLC Then again, "Many of the steelhead trout in the southeast lay their eggs within just a few miles of the ocean," said Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist Jason Shull. We saw their shapes at the end of the runs where they staged over gravel spawning beds. They are a Chinese company that focuses on producing top quality products. These prodigious runs of fish, largely a function of the high quality habitat found in the Situk watershed, draw both anglers and wildlife. The health of the run is arguably a big factor in my recent success. 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. 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. Then for no apparent reason at all, fish will hit anything and everything you drift their way. Steelhead Fishing Alaska | Alaska Steelhead Fishing Trips Prior to our trip we watched the temperatures in Yakutat and inside the 10-day forecast, we began to anticipate each days float. Pull over and get out! Shannon and I traded places at the oars, pointing the bow at a new obstacle at every turn, pulling away from it. Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world come to the Glacier Bear Lodge each. 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. Trees were in every turn of the river, downed timber framed each run. This trail joins up with the 10 mile ATV Trail and continues on to the Middle Situk Cabins. 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. The Situk River is home to five species of Pacific salmon, Dolly Varden trout, and the state's largest documented run of steelhead. Australia. Sixteen miles long, the Situk River is unlike any other steelhead river Ive fished. The guides depend on other fishermen if something goes wrong in 14 miles of river. When I should have been packing bags and stowing rods, I steeped in steelhead subculture in the bar at the Glacier Bear. 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. Our spacious dry rooms allow you to, , offers the ultimate in reasonably-priced World-Class, The natural-run Yakutat steelhead fishing. The Spin Cycle: A Day Of Situk Steelhead Spinner Fishing I hooked five, landed three that day. KastKing Krome Salmon/Steelhead Fishing Rod. The Yakutat Fish Factory - Fish Alaska Magazine Ocean migration and behavior of steelhead Oncorhynchus - ResearchGate 7 Days, 6 Nights: $3,500/person5 Days, 4 Nights: $2,500/person, Minimum 2 peopleDepart from from Yakutat, AlaskaIncludes lodging, (907) 488-7517 - Join our mailing list and receive exclusive updates! The Situk River steelhead fishery is the largest steelhead fishery in the state, accounting for nearly half of the steelhead caught annually in Alaska. United States government. Those might be the two biggest steelhead you will ever see, I said. The natural-run Yakutat steelhead fishing is considered the best in the world. Great report! angling for steelhead and four species of pacific salmon and trout on the Situk River. Color and sizes of spinners, beads, worms, etc? Server, Transaction Analyzer Packet Trace Warehouse, NetOne Bundle for My brother-in-law caught one that day and lost a couple of others. Work on the Situk River Lower Landing boat launch is continuing but should be done by this weekend. (0011 800 4 RVBD TAC) 1300 007 823 (RVBD) (3) 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 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. YAKUTAT, Alaska It was pitch black, freezing and a headlamp was required to follow the snow covered trail. Fax:907-228-6215, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tongass/recarea/?recid=79172, Intentionally snagging and/or retaining a snagged fish is illegal. PDF Steelhead Studies from the Situk River in Southeast Alaska - ARLIS Also: The best gear for anglers camping in Alaska. 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. They are not prepared to stay out overnight and hence, they start the drift at 8:30 in the morning and get off the river some 10 to 12 hours later. The Situk River has two steelhead runs: one in the spring and one in the fall. Importantly, the Roadless Rule does not prevent all development in roadless areas. There are multiple bank access fishing spots along the Situk River Trail, beginning at the Nine Mile bridge. Fish average 10 12 pounds with fish in the 17 20 pound range not uncommon. Call usabout family discounts, senior rates, & package fishing trip offers. None of us would have met each other except for steelhead. Cheers, Courtney. 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. 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. Situk River Steelhead Fishing, May 2020 | IFish Fishing Forum Click "OK" to continue. Riverbed SteelHead CX 5055 Series | WANSolutionWorks.com Alaska Fishing Lodge & Charters| Glacier Bear Lodge, Yakutat It might be the land of giants but a person should keep expectations in check. The flick of a fin might reveal a holding lie, a blue-black back, the shine of chrome beneath a lateral line. While we were there, both fish moved up into the next long run, headed upstream to spawn. The Situk drains a gentle plain of muskeg and trackless forest, as well as a lake fed by melting snows. Situk River is the most famous of Yakutats rivers. Riverbed's trained technical support staff is committed to providing world-class expertise and assistance. Unlike Pacific salmon, however, steelhead do not always die after spawning and can repeat the cycle several times over. Know the local, April-Oct.: dolly varden; April/May/June: rainbow trout and steelhead; July: rainbow trout, pink and chum salmon; Aug./Sept. The first day would be cloudy, after days of rain. And then it began to look like we were going to get the best weather of the year so far. 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. Spectacular steelhead fishery in Yakutat good way to kick off the The Situk River is one of the most prolific and popular salmon and trout systems in the National Forest System. All comments are moderated before being published. 5928 Views 15 Replies 10 Participants Last post by Large Edward, . Kesey grew up fishing steelhead in Oregon and has caught more steelhead than anyone else I know. website belongs to an official government organization in the Experience Management, Control about family discounts, senior rates, & package fishing trip offers. 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. You can contact Riverbed online or over the phone. These guys are the most popular fish on the market. At that moment, a large steelhead moved up from the pool below and found a place to hold in the riffle. Riverbed Global Support Email: support@riverbed.com. Steelhead: Low and Clear on the Situk - Fish Alaska Miller has big dreams of some day tapping into that traffic and taking . The natural-run Yakutat steelhead fishing is considered the best in the world. Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. The Ahrnklin River, Seal Creek, and the Lost River, along with several small streams, join Situk River waters in the Situk-Ahrnklin Lagoon before emptying into the Gulf of . Steelhead runs are categorized as spring, summer, fall, or winter and in southeast Alaska only fall and spring runs occur. Tongass National Forest - Situk River Trailhead Most Situk anglers arrive from some other place and they do not bring tents and ground cloths and small camp stoves. They moved when the light was low morning and evening and held close to cover during the day. The more access is restricted, the more fish populations will suffer. 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. People have stocked Trout and Salmon in the most remote corners of the planet, from Argentina to Tasmania and . Its not shaped like a steelhead river.. Thats quite the accomplishment in a fish-filled state. 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). Situk Steelhead Fly and Bead List Our famous saltwater halibut, lingcod, & black bass fishing is second to none. 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. 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. 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. We might be in competition for the biters, but keep in mind Situk steelheaders depend on each other. Camp where the river makes a slow turn and steelhead stack like cordwood along a shelf. The spring steelhead season extends through the end of May, during which, the saltwater fishing halibut . in-house laundry facilities, you'll enjoy the comforts of home with the exhilarating thrill of America's last frontier. Add to that our top choices for custom beads along with hooks, pegs and indicators. UIFN Toll Free (1) Toll Free. That was 40-something Trey Sharp, and he never said how many fish he caught. Steelhead fishing on the Situk River Pro-tip:Fish Alaskasfavorite fishing lodges to visit. The Riverbed SteelHead CX series features dedicated WAN optimization appliances, ideal for organizations that want to improve application performance and data transfers served over a wide area network. Haunted by the next fish. A few years back Kesey and I were fishing the Situk River in late April when we stumbled on a pack of hundreds of fish that had just moved in on a tide. Closer to the weekend, and with the river low and clear, our hook-up ratios dropped considerably. Five or six boats may go over a pod of fish in 15 minutes. Shannon fought the fish in close after a five-minute battle and then turned it loose in the soft water. There are also guided boating trips and boat rentals available from nearby lodges. on official, secure websites. Contact Brocade for assistance. Moose hunting is good to excellent. 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. (That fish was first labeled a chinook salmon and, being the boy's first king, the party took it to town to get it weighed. The low water dramatically affects the Upper Situk in terms of fishing ability. Cooper Landing Fishing Guide, LLC. Prices can vary based on trip duration, boat size and amenities, and the type of fishing your group is looking to do. Vernon and I had planned this trip on a whim. Situk River Fly Fishing For Spectacular Spring Steelhead - Yakutat, Al The Situk River offers outstanding fishing for rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and steelhead, as well as sockeye, pink, king and coho salmon. Jake looked at me. Trout vs. Salmon: All You Need to Know (Updated 2023) An official website of the Mostly I listened, to stories of big fish, biology and steelhead beads. Particularly when the water is low, anglers tend to pound the best steelhead water, ignoring the places where Dolly Varden seek refuge. 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). If we had been on the river the day before, I might have hooked ten. The river also has substantial sockeye and silver salmon runs. Touched by the water. 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. Map showing recreational areas. However, part of my success is the result of trial and error and by paying close attention to other successful anglers. Yakutat's Situk River Water Level Remains Low, Slowing Fishing Options Appreciate any insight people might have. One trip for me and I have life-long friends. Map created by Mark Hieronymus. Each steelhead is like a miracle, a gift out of time, a prehistoric primal beast. Contact Cambium for assistance. We teamed up with Legend guide Danny Stonedahl for an 18 mile each day float down t. Redemption, SteelCentral and Management, Cloud Steelhead & Steelhead Cloud Toll. The trail also fords the Old Situk River, but it does not follow the banks of Situk River. Lesser fish darted to the sides while the fish, which I estimated at 28 pounds, assumed the best holding lie. Tongass National Forest Sustainable Cabin Strategy, 648 Mission Street, Suite 110 Federal Building One of three steelhead hooked in front of a root wad, this 8-pounder went airborne time and again to throw the hook. Authorized Alaska Fishing Steelhead Fishing Alaska. One favorite blends three strands of yarn steelhead orange, light orange and white. The fish we saw averaged ten pounds, but now and then we surprised one that would go 16 pounds. If you only know the names of two fish in the world, they'll probably be Salmon and Trout. 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.
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