Area Sport Fishing Reports
Yukon

July 2, 2025

Local conditions

• Large fires have been burning in interior Alaska and currently access to the Nome Creek Road and Birch Creek Wayside off of the Steese Highway are closed due to ongoing wildland fire activities. The Dalton Highway begins at MP 73 on the Elliott Highway. Currently road conditions for the Steese, Dalton, and Taylor Highways are rated fair, but before driving these, 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. Recent rainfall has helped dampen down some of the fires and cleared smoke out the air. However, sunny days with forecasted thunderstorms can cause these fires to erupt again and/or create new fire activity. A good source for recent wildfire and smoke activity is at UAFSMOKE. Be careful with any fire sources when fishing and camping during hot, dry, and windy conditions.

• Be aware for 2025 (once fire activity subsides) that the portion of Nome Creek Road off the Steese Highway that extends from the Nome Creek Bridge to the Ophir Creek Campground will be closed from 6 AM. to 7 PM on weekdays for road improvements and culvert replacement. During the weekends, federal holidays, and moose hunting season (September 1-15), the road will be open; however, travelers should expect traffic delays of up to 20 minutes.

Freshwater Fishing

Arctic grayling

• Arctic grayling are ubiquitous throughout the Yukon River drainage. Post-spawning Arctic grayling will be at their summer feeding locations where they will remain throughout most of July and August. In general, older and 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.

• Nome Creek and the Ikhèenjik River (Birch Creek), which can be accessed from the Steese Highway, are running low and clear and offer excellent fishing opportunities for Arctic grayling. Only catch-and-release fishing for Arctic grayling is allowed in Nome Creek, which is located within the White Mountains National Recreation Area. NOME CREEK IS RESTRICTED TO CATCH-AND-RELEASE FISHING ONLY FOR ARCTIC GRAYLING.
• or those planning to float Birch Creek, be aware that during 2023 a potentially hazardous new river channel was discovered a few miles downriver from the Upper Birch Creek Wayside. Also, be aware that currently the lower Birch Creek take-out is closed due to fire activity as is the Nome Creek Road. Before beginning a float trip from the Upper to Lower Birch Creek Waysides, contact the Bureau of Land Management Fairbanks District office at 907-474-2200 for current conditions.
• Streams within the Fortymile River drainage and along the Dalton Highway, are also running clear and fishing opportunities for Arctic grayling are good.
• 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 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 the Ikhèenjik River that crosses at mile 147 of the Steese Highway.
• 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. The Yukon River is currently flowing at normal river height, and the mouths of these tributaries have lowered and cleared since breakup. As a result, sport fishing has improved for these voracious, 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.

Sheefish

• Sheefish continue to migrate upstream to summer feeding areas and sport fishing has improved as the Yukon River flows at normal height and the confluences of major tributaries have cleared. Good fishing opportunities can be found at the mouths of major tributaries such as the Innoko, Koyukuk, Nowitna, and Porcupine Rivers. 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 March 31 throughout the Yukon River drainage, including the Tanana River. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. In addition, when fishing for other species, anglers may not use bait in Yukon River tributaries.
• Because 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, a 7-year agreement has been enacted to close Canadian-origin Yukon River Chinook salmon to all fishing, including subsistence, commercial, personal use, and sport fishing during 2024-2030. Currently, the king salmon run has passed its traditional midpoint at the Pilot Station sonar and is trending to be one of the poorest on record.

Chum salmon

• For summer chum salmon, the preseason forecast is for a run of sufficient size to meet spawning run goals. However, there is a lot of uncertainty about the 2025 run due to the low run size of the 2021 parent year. Counts at the Pilot Station sonar have been low; however, recently large pulses have been seen. Therefore, the sport fishery remains open pending more information. The pre-season projection for fall chum salmon, which typically appear in the lower Yukon River during mid-July, is for a poor run that will not meet spawning escapement goals. So, before fishing for chum salmon in the Yukon River, be sure to check the Emergency Orders and Advisory Announcements because if it looks as though the chum salmon runs will not meet spawning escapement goals, the sport fishery will be closed.

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-01-2025 closes the Yukon River drainage excluding the Tanana River drainage, to sport fishing for king salmon.

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.

ADF&G News

You can purchase your fishing license through the ADF&G Online Storee. Also, before heading out, be sure to review the Emergency Orders and the 2025 Northern Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for the area you are fishing.

For More Information

For moe information, please call Yukon Area Management Biologist Lisa Stuby at 907-459-7202.