Photos by Gary Lewis & Trey Scharp. The small difference in elevation from its headwaters to the ocean creates meandering riffle-and-pool habitat throughout the river. Steelhead runs are categorized as spring, summer, fall, or winter and in southeast Alaska only fall and spring runs occur. Prices can vary based on trip duration, boat size and amenities, and the type of fishing your group is looking to do. Information, Mailing The Situk River steelhead fishery is the largest steelhead fishery in the state, accounting for nearly half of the steelhead caught annually in Alaska. But intermittent meadows and alder thickets made life miserable with chest-high snow and a completely obscured path. Over the course of the rivers run, it only loses 1,640 feet of elevation. Country / Region. (0011 800 4 RVBD TAC) 1300 007 823 (RVBD) (3) Products, Report They can catch big numbers of fish when the conditions are right. The Yakutat Forelands, which are part of the Tongass National Forest, stretch from Yakutat Bay in the north to Dry Bay in the south. wildernessenterprises@gmail.com, Joe Letarte ~ 7445 Chena Hotsprings Rd ~ Fairbanks ~ Alaska 99712 Authorized The lower 14 miles are floatable from the Nine Mile Bridge down almost to the ocean and while that is not so unremarkable, the river is choked with wood. About a mile before the cabins, there is a side trail that accesses the confluence of the Old Situk and Situk Rivers. The Situk River is one of the most productive and popular salmon and trout systems in Southeast Alaska and the National Forest System. The spring is the most popular and productive time to fish because it has a larger return of fish and longer and "warmer" days on the water. Anglers and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world come to the Glacier Bear Lodge each. I post-holed my way down the bank, washed the ice off my rod, and tied on a choice fly. The downstream trail system is more extensive. . And research indicates that a lot of Situk fish are caught many times. Heading downriver it wasn't long before I encountered some promising shadows along a deep cutbank. 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. KastKing is a relatively new player in the market which some of you might not have heard about. Along the way a spur trail leads . Miller has big dreams of some day tapping into that traffic and taking . With daily housekeeping service, in-house laundry facilities, you'll enjoy the comforts of home with the exhilarating thrill of America's last frontier. Located near the small community of Yakutat, Alaska, the Situk River is a unique and prolific river even by Alaska standards. 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. Redemption, SteelCentral Most Situk anglers arrive from some other place and they do not bring tents and ground cloths and small camp stoves. 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. 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. 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. Alas, the Situk is not for the faint at heart or easily ruffled as it definitely takes more than it gives but again the reward of an ocean bright wild steelhead on the line is well worth all the efforts. store your gear ready for the next day and help to make the transition of the serious fisherman to the relaxed, vacationing guest enjoying his favorite beverage. Prior to our trip we watched the temperatures in Yakutat and inside the 10-day forecast, we began to anticipate each days float. The Situk drains a gentle plain of muskeg and trackless forest, as well as a lake fed by melting snows. about family discounts, senior rates, & package fishing trip offers. Riverbed Global Support Email: support@riverbed.com. And now we were at the Glacier Bear Lodge in a town called Yakutat where the rain had stopped and the snow had melted and we found ourselves in a unique circumstance where almost everyone in the lodge was there for one thing. 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. 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. 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. 13. Kesey grew up fishing steelhead in Oregon and has caught more steelhead than anyone else I know. The Situk drains a gentle plain of muskeg and trackless forest, as well as a lake fed by melting snows. Situk steelhead are not considered large, robust fish by any means and fish are generally "cookie cutters" between 28 and 33 inches. I called my friend Gary Davis over to see the fish. Enterprises, Client Check out our favorite flies for fishing the legendary Situk River in Yakutat for steelhead. The river also has substantial sockeye and silver salmon runs. Official websites use .gov A .gov While we were there, both fish moved up into the next long run, headed upstream to spawn. Mostly I listened, to stories of big fish, biology and steelhead beads. The shape of this river is what gets me, he said. People have stocked Trout and Salmon in the most remote corners of the planet, from Argentina to Tasmania and . One trip for me and I have life-long friends. Map showing recreational areas. If we had been on the river the day before, I might have hooked ten. 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. Shannon fought the fish in close after a five-minute battle and then turned it loose in the soft water. As the day's first sunshine hit the water, I began wading downriver in search of fresh fish and indelible memories. 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. Some stocks of steelhead can travel hundreds of miles upriver to reach their spawning grounds. (Situk River) for mid May, fishing the salt for 1-2 days and the river for 4. He got it. 1, Panthers' Bryce Young is all 'business now'. 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. Those not interested in floating the river hike from either road to find fish. After rearing anywhere from one to four years in freshwater, these fish migrate to sea and grow at accelerated rates. We fished Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On days 2 and 3, all the best holes had guides and their clients. My dad caught what may have been the biggest fish of the trip on the third day when the water was skinny. 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. And with the clear days the fish had pulled tight into the wood of the log jams. Cooper Landing, AK. 7 Days, 6 Nights: $3,500/person5 Days, 4 Nights: $2,500/person, Minimum 2 peopleDepart from from Yakutat, AlaskaIncludes lodging, (907) 488-7517 - 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. Our drift boats were staged at the bridge, waiting. 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. The Situk is world renowned, but it is just one of the rivers that make Yakutat so special. The majority of Alaskan voters and numerous southeast Alaska tribes opposed the exemption. 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 . 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. Join our mailing list and receive exclusive updates! Huge trees lay on their sides with limbs bare and curled, like rib cages of long-dead dinosaurs. In comparison to other anadromous species of Pacific salmon, they have a fairly complicated life history. Another large fish, well over 20 pounds followed it up out of the deep water. Vernon and I had planned this trip on a whim. It took real persistence and attention to detail to hook fish on the third day. The first day would be cloudy, after days of rain. From $175.00. 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. Each year we start our fishing season in mid-March for spring steelhead in the world-famous Situk River. However, part of my success is the result of trial and error and by paying close attention to other successful anglers. 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. Marian Giannulis is the Alaska Communications & Engagement Director for Trout Unlimited. "After Tony hooked his second fish in the first 10 minutes of our float, I started to believe in the magic of metal," author Randall Bonner writes of their experience. The change in the forecast changed how we would approach the water. Salmon runs fill the river from June through October and steelhead filter in beginning in the fall and in a larger spring run. Alders stacked like toothpicks, cedars, hemlocks and spruces, swept down on giant floods bounded nearly every run. Moose hunting is good to excellent. Situk River is the most famous of Yakutats rivers. 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. Support, Solution The health of the run is arguably a big factor in my recent success. The Situk River in Southeast Alaska has the longest running set of biological data and scale samples for steelhead in the state and is of particular interest because it supports the largest known . 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. It might be the land of giants but a person should keep expectations in check. Also: The best gear for anglers camping in Alaska. Alaska Fishing Steelhead Fishing Alaska. Alaska fishing at its best! Mailing Address: Finally I reached my destination just as a few flakes of snow started to fall and light in the sky began to gather. The Situk River has two steelhead runs: one in the spring and one in the fall. Upstream habitat is critical for highly migratory fish like salmon. I slammed into a small rock while the boat was turned and my brother-in-law took a header against the gunwale, breaking a tooth he had had repaired just four days earlier. Oh yeah, you probably wont be able to see the stars because of the rain, but thats okay. With an annual return of 4,500-8,000 fish, the Situk hosts the largest steelhead run in the state. The flick of a fin might reveal a holding lie, a blue-black back, the shine of chrome beneath a lateral line. From swinging flies like the Dirty Hoh and Mini Intruder, to smaller offerings like our custom Liquid Wrench and of course the crazy but effective Garcia Glo Bug. The more access is restricted, the more fish populations will suffer. Sink. 4Be sure to preface this number with the international access and carrier code for your network. While bead fishing is one of the most popular techniques, yarn flies can be very effective. I suspect our best numbers were put up by the lone angler in our group who stuck with beads. The spring run typically begins mid March, really picks up speed the last week of April and tapers off by mid . Anglers in the know speak in hushed tones of 30-fish days, but the reality is it can be easy to have a zero-fish day. The trail also fords the Old Situk River, but it does not follow the banks of Situk River. How much does a Situk River fishing charter cost? Jake looked at me. 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.

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