Choose between fresh water for resident and sea-run trout or deep salt for huge halibut. We favor fly fishing on Glacier Bay, but the action’s always great for spinning gear too. The Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve provide an unforgettable backdrop for chasing sockeye, chum, pink and coho salmon. It’s all yours in a breathtaking stretch of valleys shaded by towering spruce, birch and cottonwood. Thanks to the Copper River’s special designation, this is one of the premier places for stalking some of the biggest ‘bows in the state. You have more than 300 miles of pure runoff rushing with chinook, coho, and sockeye from the middle of May through October. Spend some quality time fly fishing on one of Alaska’s first rivers to receive a catch-and-release-only designation for rainbow trout. Slide on down southeast to the Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. Copper River Out of the Wrangell Mountain Range This is the place to set your sights on landing those monster lake trout you’ve always heard about. Do expect to get in some hiking around the lake’s shores, and definitely expect to be rewarded with a setting that Alaska fly fishing dreams are made of. This is deep backcountry, so don’t expect much in the way of civilization. The Dalton Highway runs all the way to the Arctic Circle, but we stop when we get to Galbraith Lake. If you’re headed for Alaska to enjoy a little fly fishing, we definitely recommend casting your luck in these waters.

There’s nothing like revisiting a familiar stream, and we’re always discovering new secluded spots. We thought about putting together a list of favorite rivers and lakes, but it would just be too long. We have seasons up here too, so if you think it’s always cold in Alaska, you’re in for another pleasant surprise. Where do we keep all the fish? With more than 3 million lakes, 3,000 rivers and a coastline that stretches over 6,000 miles, they’re not hard to find.

It’s another to look out the window of a bush plane and see an incredible, unspoiled wilderness stretching across the horizon. It’s one thing to read about a state that covers 660,000 square miles. When folks make their first trip to Alaska for fly fishing adventures, they’re always a little surprised.

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