ABCs of Alaska Salmon — Chugach View Fisheries

Pacific Salmon

Alaska is home to five species of pacific salmon, with Prince William Sound hosting all five species. Salmon are born in freshwater and typically migrate to the ocean (A small percentage of salmon can and do spend their entire lifecycle in freshwater) either immediately after emerging from the gravel as fry or up to three years after birth. They then spend on to five years in the North Pacific feeding and growing, then returning to the very stream and often the very stretch of gravel they were born to spawn and die. The incredible diversity of life history has made the Pacific salmon a true survivor, surviving not only incredible disasters dished out by the “ring of fire” such as Mt. St. Helen’s completely destroying the Toutle River, but the incredible impact of humanity. You will find salmon from the Arctic Ocean to Southern California there are even reports of Steelhead (a sea run rainbow trout, which is in the same genus as salmon) in Mexico! Salmon are even found in metropolitan Seattle which is one of the most densely populated areas of the country!

The fact that salmon are survivors does not mean they are not threatened in much of their range. A century of damming, overfishing, global warming and other human impacts have left many species in many places on the brink of extinction especially in the Pacific Northwest where the Columbia River system has been extensively impacted. Salmon in Alaska have faired much better but not without challenges, unregulated fishing in the first half of the 20th century lead to near collapse of many stocks of fish due to overfishing. In fact the overfishing and lack of regulatory oversight was one of the primary drivers in the push for Alaska to become the 49th state in 1959. Happily due to largely intact habitat, and excellent management there are now likely more salmon in the world than there ever has been (although this is driven primarily by Sockeye salmon which respond best to intensive management, Chinook and Coho salmon are still particularly threatened throughout their range).

Since statehood Alaska has produced catches of salmon of over 100 million fish a year regularly, with a 60 year track record it is clear that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game does an excellent job ensuring that Alaska salmon are the most sustainable fish you can find.

You can rest assured that I will not fish for fish in an unsustainable way, period.

Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta

Area E as Alaska Fish and Game calls it stretches from Kayak Island (interestingly the first place in Alaska Europeans landed) to Cape Fairfield encompasses Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta. Prince William Sound is a series of deep fjords (Bays dug out by glaciers) which hosts numerous natural wonders including giant granite rock faces, ten thousand foot tall mountains, water falls and of course massive tidewater glaciers. The Copper River Delta is a classic river delta, with a broad expanse of marsh and waterways ending in barrier islands as the mighty Copper River brings water from three mountain ranges to the gulf of Alaska. This varied and mostly unspoiled habitat creates ideal conditions for an amazing array of wildlife, from bears to smelt to a ton (and I mean a ton) of jellyfish. All five species of pacific salmon are harvested in area E with gillnets and seines. The salmon season runs from May when prized Copper River sockeye and Chinook kick off the Alaska salmon season to October when the last few coho are harvested.

Prince William Sound is also home to a variety of saltwater fish such as halibut, lingcod, rockfish, and sablefish as well as shellfish such as king crabs and shrimp. Shrimp season runs the last two weeks in April. Hopefully soon additional opportunities for shellfish will present themselves as crab stocks rebuild.

If you are interested in tours of the Prince William Sound please contact me! I would be happy to help arrange a fantastic tour with one of my friends! You might even stop by the Sportsman.

Oncohynchus a guide

Chinook Salmon (O. tshawytscha)

Chinook salmon also called King salmon is the largest and least abundant Pacific salmon. The largest caught was 126 pounds near Petersburg Alaska. Kings are prized for their firm fatty flesh, they freeze well and are truly the king of salmon.

Limited Quantities of Chinook may be available this summer email me to be put on the list.

Pink Salmon (O. gorbuscha)

Pink salmon also called humpies (because of the humps that males develop for spawning) are the most abundant and smallest of the pacific salmon. Generally they spawn very near the mouths of rivers and thus have lower fat content than other salmon. Because of this they are primarily smoked and canned. Fresh from the ocean they are a treat on a grill, with small delicate flakes and a flavor much like a wild trout. I do not recommend freezing humpies due to their delicate texture.

I sell pinks in the Anchorage area for your canning and BBQ needs.

Sockeye Salmon (O. nerka)

Sockeye salmon also called red salmon are the staple of Alaskans. They are abundant and delicious. Ranging in size from 3-8 pound many people think they are even better table fare than Chinook salmon. Reds are very high in Omega-3 fatty acid, have bold flavor and firm flakes.

Order sockeye now to ensure your supply this summer!

Coho Salmon (O. kisutch)

Coho salmon also called silvers are the latest running salmon, returning to freshwater from July to December, with fish caught in freshwater every month of the year except May! They grow up to twenty five pounds and are excellent table fare. Their flesh is slightly less firm than sockeye salmon with a more mild flavor.

Coho will be available in the Anchorage starting in July!

Keta Salmon (O. keta)

Keta salmon also called chum or dog salmon are just plain cool. They spawn everywhere from intertidal estuaries to the Yukon Territory in Canada thousands of miles up the Yukon River. They have a mild flavor and are extremely abundant, meaning they are an economical option for those looking to incorporate Alaska salmon into their diets.

For the best value in salmon order a keta salmon freezer filler pack now!

Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout

No tour of the pacific salmon genus would be complete without my absolute favorite fish. If you fly fish you know why! Rainbows and Cutthroat are different than other members of their genus because they can spawn more than once, and commonly spend their entire lives in freshwater. Being blessed with an abundance of salmon I rarely keep these fish and prefer to admire their beauty and let them swim free!

If you are interested in trout fishing Alaska email me

The mighty Copper River and the Wrangle Mountains

Commercial Fishing Glossary

Bowpicker - A type of small boat ranging from 26-35 feet with a wheelhouse aft, allowing gear to be set off the bow (front) of the boat. These boats often use jet propulsion to fish very shallow water and are the most common type of boat in the Prince William Sound Fleet.

Gillnet - A net made of out monofilament that hangs from surface of the water like a curtain. Salmon swim into the gillnet then cannot escape and are typically caught by the gills (hence the name).

Picking Fish - Removing fish from a gillnet

Fillet - The entire side of a fish, one often fillets a salmon leaving two large portions without the guts, head, tail or ribs.

Salmon Belly - The portion of the fish on the ventral size of the salmon, typically very fatty and often used in canning.

Tender - A large boat that can hold a lot of fish that brings salmon back to the processing facilities in town. Small boats sell their fish and buy food and fuel from tenders.

The Flats - The area at the mouth of the Copper River open to Fishing

Corking - When a fisherman sets his net immediately in front of another fisherman thus catching the salmon bound for the first guy’s net instead.

Pukers - Sportfishing or pleasure boats.

Highliner - A boat in the fleet that consistently catches the most fish

The Line - The edge of a fishing district, you may not set gear on the other side of “the line”

Corkline - A line with small buoys (corks) that float the net.

Leadline - A weighted line that keeps the net stretched downwards.

Sternpicker - A type of small boat with the wheelhouse forward allowing gear to be set off the stern (back) of the boat. These are most common in Bristol Bay and Southeast Alaska

Seiner - A boat that sets a large black net with the help of a skiff encircling schools of fish then scooping them aboard.