Tanana Drainage Management Area
Fishing Opportunities

The Tanana River is a large glacially-fed river that flows from the Wrangell-St Elias Range to its confluence with the Yukon River at the village of Tanana.  The Tanana River is road accessible at numerous locations between Tok, Fairbanks, and Nenana along both the Alaska and Richardson Highways, is often accessed by motorboat, and by snowmachine during the winter.  There are also several sections of river that can be floated from road to road in rafts or canoes.  The Tanana River supports a large population of burbot.   This species is the only freshwater cod in North America, and are a delicious fish with mild white flesh. They are most active in the winter just prior to spawning, but burbot provide for excellent fishing all year, although most effort occurs during the winter as an ice fishery using set-lines. 

Burbot are typically caught on baited lines, either as set-lines during the ice fishing season, or as set-lines or rod and reel fishing during the open water season.  Place your set lines in areas with relatively slow river flow and use heavy lead weights in order to keep your bait on the river bottom.  Whitefish or herring both make good burbot bait.  An ADF&G informational video on how to set line for burbot is also available.

There are several locations where you can launch a jet or prop boat into the Tanana River (these are also access points for winter snowmachines).  These include: Manley Hot Springs (Elliott Hwy, milepost 152), Fairbanks (Chena Pump Rd), Big Delta (Richardson Hwy milepost 275.4), George Lake launch (Alaska Hwy, milepost 1385), and Alaska Hwy Bridge at Tok (milepost 1303.3).  There are also a number of locations where you can easily walk or snowmachine to the river around Fairbanks, Delta Junction, Tok, and Nenana.  There are also a number of road accessible sections of the river that users float, including from Fairbanks to Nenana.

Burbot

Begin: January 01
Ends: December 365

Before you go fishing please check the regulations.