2019 Float Alaska Salmon Forecast
The one thing for sure is the fishing in Alaska will be far better than the lower 48. While Salmon and Steelhead numbers in lower 48 are “dismal” at best we have been seeing some good to very good recovery in our area of Western Alaska.
King Salmon have been good in our Bristol Bay drainages and improving in our Kuskokwim drainages. An open season has not been set in either but with an open 2018 King Salmon season in the Bristol Bay rivers and good numbers 4 years ago we expect fishing that we have not seen in a few years.
Silver salmon numbers in 2017 were recorded in the top 5 over the 50 plus years of monitoring. While the Silvers have traditional been less “tracked” from a statistical standpoint they have certainly been watched by fishermen as they can provide non stop action for fly aggressive fishing
Sockeye salmon numbers reached levels not seen since the 1990’s a few years back and good numbers have reached the spawning grounds and should be showing up in the next few years.
While the numbers will vary from one drainage to the next and one year to the next…we are feeling good about 2019 and 2020.
- Fly fishing for trophy trout under clear water conditions behind salmon as well as locating the Leopard rainbows near structure should be good all through July and into August. Sculpin patterns, mouse patterns and anything in between will take fish.
- Trophy grayling will be susceptible to many dry patterns as well as typical subsurface offerings.
