When it comes to fishing there is no other state that can compete with Alaska. Alaska is home to over 20 species of fish including the Silver King Salmon, Halibut, and Steelhead Trout. The available fish can be found in the ocean, lakes, rivers, and streams that form a virtual network of fishing opportunities throughout the state.
Alaska is defined by its five regions with their own unique landscape, environment, and natural features.
Southcentral:
Southcentral Alaska is the portion of the state of Alaska that borders the shorelines and uplands of the central Gulf of Alaska. The majority of Alaska’s population resides in this region, most within and around the city of Anchorage.
Southeastern or Panhandle
The Panhandle of Alaska is the southeastern area of the state located west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. Tongass United States’ largest national forest takes up a majority of the panhandle’s land.
Interior
The interior of Alaska encompasses most of the state’s landmass. Largely comprises of wilderness it features many mountains including Mount McKinley (Denali) in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains.
Fairbanks is the largest city in the interior and overall Alaska’s second-largest city. Towns of interest located within the Alaskan interior are North Pole, Eagle, Tok, Glennallen, Delta Junction, Nenana, Anderson, Healy and Cantwell.
Southwest
Southwest Alaska is home to the Ring of Fire including and many of Alaska’s volcanoes including, Novarupta and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, Mount Iliamna, Mount Redoubt, and the Augustine Volcano. The Southwest region also includes a largely uncharted area of rough terrain comprised of interior boreal forests, swamps, and highlands, and the immense mountain barrier of the Aleutian Range.
Arctic or North Slope
The Arctic or North Slope region of the of Alaska is situated on the northern slope of the Brooks Range along the coast of three saltwater bodies, the Arctic Ocean, the Chukchi Sea, and the Beaufort Sea on the eastern.
Known primarily for its National Petroleum Reserve and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the balance between nature and natural resources are often at odds with each other as both sides attempt a balancing act to keep each option viable.
Fishing has been a mainstay in Alaska for centuries with the Native American Indians using it as a staple, and later developed as both a commercial enterprise and tourist activity.
Please follow along as we present more information about fishing in the outlined regions of Alaska in future postings!