Watch for Fisherman's Choice to be featured soon on the Sportsman Channel's Outdoor Traditions

Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) begin their Alaska journey from the Pacific Ocean to their individual spawning waters on Alaska's Little Susitna River, Deshka River and Talkeetna River in Mat-Su Valley north of Anchorage, Alaska.  Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) first enters the Little Susitna River and Deshka River in mid May, and the Talkeetna River in mid June.  On Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna Valley Rivers, the mighty Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) ranges from 25 to 85 pounds in size.

 

The largest fish we boated in 2005 was a monster Alaska King Salmon caught on the Talkeetna River weighing in at 68 pounds, 9 ounces.  Unfortunately the proud angler had not signed up for the Mat-Su King Salmon Derby and the prize was taken by a 57 pound King Salmon. 

 

When fishing these Alaska trophies, the initial rod bending strike of the Alaska King Salmon can prove to be only the beginning of an exciting and intense fight with an equally exciting and rewarding finish!  With the low and clear water conditions on Mat Su Alaska's Little Susitna River, we began fishing and landed our first Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) of 2007 on May 7th, giving us a "boated" count of 35 Alaska King Salmon by May 20th!

 

We continued fishing the Little Susitna River, reaching a solid 90% success rate of Alaska King Salmon until we pulled out and moved to the Deshka River when bait fishing season opened on May 25th.

 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game set up the weir and began to monitor the Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) fishing on the Alaska Deshka River on May 29, 2008, which is one of the earliest counts for the Alaska sport fisherman.

 

With the escapement having been reached, there was an emergency order increasing the daily fishing bag limit of Alaska King Salmon (Chinook Salmon) on the Deshka River from one king salmon per day to 2 king salmon per day.  The final Alaska King Salmon count on the Deshka River was 18,714.

 

Unfortunately there is no count taken on the Alaska Talkeetna River here in South Central Alaska. However, there was a very strong run of Alaska King Salmon and we were able to limit out almost every trip leaving a large number of clients with full coolers and sore arms!

 

As for the King Salmon runs in the 2009 fishing season, Alaska Fish and Game Biologists are once again predicting a very strong run of Alaska King Salmon, thus presenting Alaska Fisherman's Choice Charters with countless satisfied Alaska King Salmon fishing Anglers!