Area Sport Fishing Reports
Yukon

August 7, 2026

Local conditions

• Ample precipitation during July has kept wildfires from igniting and spreading. However, a hot and dry August can contribute to wildfires that can spread quickly with windy conditions. Therefore, please be careful with campfires, matches, or other fire sources when fishing and camping during hot, dry, and windy conditions. Also, lightning strikes from thunderstorms can also contribute to fire activity, so be aware of this when camping. A good source for recent wildfire and smoke activity is at UAFSMOKE.
• Currently road conditions for the Steese, Dalton, and Taylor Highways are rated as good to fair, although the portion of the Dalton Highway between Dietrich Camp at milepost 210 and Atigun Pass is currently difficult due to flood repairs. Be aware that conditions can change quickly with inclement weather. Before driving these highways, check the current road conditions at Alaska 511 for the latest updates. Also, be aware the first 60 miles of the Taylor Highway are paved, and the remaining sections are gravel. Most of the Dalton Highway is gravel and the first 81 miles of the Steese Highway are paved and the remaining gravel.
• For the second year in a row, there is a temporary closure of the Nome Creek Road for the section of road that leads to the Ophir Creek Campground from the Nome Creek Bridge and will be in effect through September 30, 2026, or until construction is completed. The road will be open on weekends, federal holidays, and for moose hunting during September 1-15. When the road is open, travelers should expect traffic controls and delays of up to 20 minutes. For updated information check Nome Creek Road Construction.
• Be aware that if you plan to float the Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River in the White Mountains National Recreation Area - from the Nome Creek put-in for approximately 100 remote miles to the gravel bar commonly used as an aircraft take-out - a new river channel that opened in 2025, just upstream of the Borealis-LeFevre Cabin, has recently been reported to be filled with logs and debris. The strong current may pull watercraft into this channel, creating a significant hazard. The BLM has recommended that floaters line around it upstream where the channel splits. The Beaver Creek website has more information and coordinates for this new river channel.
• Also, for those planning to float the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic River, be aware that during 2023 a potentially hazardous new river channel was discovered a few miles downriver from the Upper Birch Creek Wayside (MP 94.1) that may require an approximately ¼ mile portage. Before floating either of these two streams, contact BLM at (907) 474-2200 for updated information. New river channels can take years to clear debris and become safe for boating.

Freshwater Fishing

Arctic grayling

• Arctic grayling are ubiquitous throughout the Yukon River drainage. Arctic grayling are currently at their summer feeding locations where they will remain throughout most of August before beginning their fall migration to overwintering areas during mid to late September as the weather cools. In general, the older and typically larger adult Arctic grayling will occupy the upper reaches of a river or stream, gradating to smaller adults and juveniles lower in the drainages. Many of the streams accessed from the Steese, Dalton, and Taylor Highways are headwaters and may be running high due to recent rainfall. However, these headwaters streams will rapidly decrease with drier weather.
• Nome Creek and Birch Creek (Ikhèenjik River), which can be accessed from the Steese Highway, offer excellent fishing opportunities for Arctic grayling when the water is running at normal heights and clear. Only catch-and-release fishing for Arctic grayling is allowed in Nome Creek, which is located within the White Mountains National Recreation Area and is a major tributary of Beaver Creek (Tseenjik River). NOME CREEK IS RESTRICTED TO CATCH-AND-RELEASE ONLY FOR ARCTIC GRAYLING.
• Streams within the Fortymile River drainage and along the Dalton Highway also afford good fishing opportunities when the streams are running clear.
• Popular gear used to capture Arctic grayling are shiny spoons when the streams are wide enough and colorful jigs for narrower streams and creeks. Mosquitos, mayflies, and other insects are numerous in interior Alaska and flies mimicking these pesky insects would also be enticing to a hungry Arctic grayling.
• Watch our video How to Fish for Arctic Grayling to learn what you will need to know to successfully target Arctic grayling.

Northern pike

• Northern pike, like Arctic grayling, are fairly ubiquitous throughout the Yukon River drainage. Good fishing for northern pike can be found in slower moving waters like the lower portion of Birch Creek that crosses at mile 147 of the Steese Highway.
• Other popular fishing locations for large northern pike are at the mouths of major tributaries that drain into the mainstem Yukon River such as the Dall, Ray, Nowitna, and Innoko Rivers, and Hess Creek when the tributaries are running normal and clear as northern pike are visual predators.
• Popular lures that fishers have reported success in capturing northern pike include buzzbait, booyah, jitterbugs, shiny spoons, and shads. Northern pike have rows of sharp teeth, so be sure to bring pliers and a spreader in order to safely remove hooks, especially from larger fish.
• Be sure to watch the new ADF&G video, How to Fish for Northern Pike, for tips on how to successfully target and handle big pike.

Sheefish

• Sheefish can be found at the mouth of major tributaries such as the Innoko, Koyukuk, Nowitna, and Porcupine Rivers. Similar to Arctic grayling and northern pike, sheefish are voracious visual predators with good fishing occurring in less occluded water. Large, shiny spoons are popular lures for capturing sheefish such as crocodiles, pixies, and daredevils as well as various shads that mimic juvenile prey.

Salmon

King salmon

• Due to a preseason projection for a below-average king salmon run in the Yukon River, the sport fishery for king salmon was closed on February 19 throughout the Yukon River drainage, including the Tanana River, which is a separate management area. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. The king salmon run into the lower Yukon River has exceeded the preseason forecast; however, is still below average and it is very unlikely for any sportfishing activity to occur within the Yukon River drainage in 2026.
• King salmon runs in the Yukon River continue to experience historically low runs, including those crossing the border into Canada where approximately 40-50% of the salmon spawn. An ongoing 7-year agreement (effective until 2030) has closed Canadian-origin Yukon River Chinook salmon to all fishing, including subsistence, commercial, personal use, and sport fishing. This agreement applies only to Canadian-origin king salmon in the mainstem Yukon River and if inseason stock assessment information indicates that king salmon escapement goals and subsistence needs will be met in the Alaskan tributaries, sport fishing restrictions may be relaxed in future years commensurate with run strengths, although it is very unlikely to occur as the runs have been very poor since 2020.

Chum salmon

• The preseason forecast for summer chum salmon was for a poor run that would not meet spawning run goals due to the low run sizes of the 2021 and 2022 parent years. Therefore, effective May 15, all waters of the Yukon River drainage (excluding the Tanana River drainage, which is a separate management area) were closed to sport fishing for chum salmon. However, the summer chum salmon run has exceeded expectations, and the sport fishery was reopened for 15 days to allow for some sport fishing opportunity.
• The preseason forecast for fall chum was also for a poor run that would not meet spawning run goals or treaty obligations with Canada because approximately 15-20% of fall chum salmon spawn in Canada. As a result, the chum salmon fishery closed again on July 22. If inseason stock assessment information indicates that fall chum salmon escapement goals are projected to be achieved and subsistence opportunity in the Yukon River drainage is provided, sport fishing restrictions may be relaxed commensurate with run strength and subsistence restrictions.

Coho salmon

• Coho salmon typically enter the Yukon River in August. The preseason forecast for coho salmon was also for a poor run that would not meet escapement goals. Therefore, the run is anticipated to be below average, and restrictions or closures to the sport fishery may be forthcoming. So, please check the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements prior to sport fishing for coho salmon as this sport fishery may close in the near future.

Emergency orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip:

• Emergency Order 3-KS-Y-01-2026 closes the Yukon River drainage, excluding the Tanana River drainage, to sport fishing for king salmon. 3-KS-U-01-26 closes the Tanana River drainage, which is a separate management area.
• Emergency Order 3-CS-Y-04-2026 closes the Yukon River drainage, excluding the Tanana River drainage, to sport fishing for chum salmon.
• 3-CS-U-09-26 closes the Tanana River drainage for chum salmon, which is a separate management area from the Yukon River drainage.
• Emergency Order 3-CS-Y-16-2026 opened the Yukon River drainage to sport fishing for chum salmon and 3-CS-U-17-26 opened the sport fishery in the Tanana River drainage, which is a separate management area.
• Emergency Order 3-CS-Y-18-2026 again closed the Yukon River drainage to sport fishing for chum salmon, excluding the sport fishery in the Tanana River drainage, which is a separate management area.

Catch-and-release techniques

• Because fish typically grow and reproduce more slowly at high latitudes and elevations, please use proper catch-and-release techniques to ensure the survival of the released fish such as:
  • Use lures with a single hook and crimp down the barb. Do not use bait.
  • Land the fish with a soft net and keep the fish in the water when removing the hook.
  • To release the fish, hold it gently facing into the current or in water without a current to gently cradle the fish and move it slowly back and forth until it swims away under its own power.

For More Information

ADF&G is mobile. You can purchase and display your fishing license, record your annual harvest (where applicable), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today! You can also purchase your fishing license through the ADF&G Online Store and print it off at home. Also, before heading out, be sure to review the Emergency Orders and the 2026 Northern Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing.

Check out ADF&Gs goFishAk interactive map to discover popular fishing locations and information on species run timing, fishing gear selections, and boat, angler, and floater access areas and tips.

For moe information, please call Area Management Biologist Andrew Gryska at (907) 459-7339 or andrew.gryska@alaska.gov.