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Quartz Lake The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stocks Quartz Lake annually with over 300,000 fingerling rainbow trout, and coho salmon. By the end of their three year life cycle, coho salmon can reach up to 13 inches in length. Rainbow trout reach up to 18 inches or more in five years. In 1980 a trophy rainbow trout was caught which weighed 8.3 pounds and measured 25.5 inches long. Quartz Lake is also stocked biennially with subcatchable-size Arctic char and catchable-size Chinook salmon. In order to avoid the plants growing in the water while fishing from shore, fish near the boat launches, from the fishing dock, or along the rocky shoreline. Your best bet is to use a small boat, canoe or float-tube. If you didn't bring a boat with you, don't worry. A commercial business operates a boat rental stand in the park. Effective lures include spinners, woolly worms, damsels, shrimp, and eggs. Daily bag and possession limits for each of the three species of fish is 10 per day/10 in possession with no size limit. Be sure to consult your fishing regulations for more information. The season is open year round for all three species at Quartz Lake so ice fishing is a popular past time. In order to accommodate ice fishermen, four ice fishing huts are available by reservation. There are two public use cabins available by reservation also (see below for more information on the cabins). Fishing Lost Lake
Fielding Lake
The boat launch provides access to some excellent fishing. The fish population is all natural and not stocked (anadromous). Arctic Grayling, lake trout and burbot are all found in Fielding Lake. Please be aware of the fishing regulations before going out on the lake. The great fishing opportunities and the simple beauty of this alpine campground continue to bring people back to the area year after year. Fielding Lake State Recreation Site is two miles west of the Richardson Highway at mile 200.5.
Clearwater River Many visitors enjoy this recreation site for its well kept campsites and for the picnic area. Others enjoy this site for the river access provided by the boat launch. The clear waters of the Delta Clearwater River provide excellent fishing opportunities for Arctic Grayling, whitefish, and salmon. The Delta Clearwater River provides access to the Tanana and Goodpaster Rivers. Many people enjoy the opportunity to float the Delta Clearwater River. Interior Fresh Water Fish
NORTHERN PIKE--The pike is common to many lakes and streams in the
Tanana, RAINBOW TROUT--These popular sport fish species are not indigenous to the Yukon or Tanana River drainages. Rainbow trout, however, have been successfully introduced in many landlocked lakes throughout the Fair- banks and Delta Junction areas. Excellent rainbow fishing is available in Birch, Quartz, Chena, Bluff Cabin, and Donna Lakes which are accessible by road or trail system. Koole, Rainbow, and Dune Lakes offer good fishing for the fly-in fisherman. Piledriver Slough, a small tributary to the Tanana River, is stocked annually on an experimental basis and has become the favorite among trout fishermen as it provides the only rain- bow trout fishing in flowing waters in the area. Small spinners and spoons work well as do both streamer flies and dry flies. Bait such as salmon eggs and shrimp work well in the winter ice fishery.
BURBOT--These freshwater ling cod are taken
throughout the sea SHEEFISH--These fish are taken year-round in the Kotzebue Sound/Selawik Lake area. Ice fishing on Hotham Inlet and Selawik Lake is good in late spring. During summer and fall, Kobuk River (Kiana, Amber, Kobuk areas), Selawik Lake, Selawik River, and Tuklomarak River provide some of the best sheefish fishing. They are also available in the Holitna and Hoholitna Rivers at Sleetmute and in the Koyukuk and Nowitna Rivers which are tributaries to the Yukon River. Limited numbers are available in the upper Chatanika River near the Steese and Elliott Highways in the fall and in Fourmile Lake on the Taylor Highway. A few sheefish are being taken from the Chena River in the Fairbanks area. Spoons (daredevils) are most commonly used to take sheefish. Sheefish may also be found at the mouths of clearwater tributaries of the Tanana River although fishing may be sporadic.
WHITEFISH--Whitefish are plentiful in most
interior and arctic Alaska
ARCTIC CHAR DOLLY VARDEN-These fish are
available in most coastal streams throughout the season. Most streams
and many lakes on the Seward Peninsula contain Arctic char and/or Dolly
Varden in August and September. Some small "resident" Dolly Varden are
available in the Nenana River tributaries near Nenana and in Tanana
River tributaries near Tok. Trophy-size Dolly Varden are present in the
Wulik and Kivalina Rivers and tributaries of the Noatak River, all near
Kotzebue. The best fishing occurs in September. LAKE TROUT--Some of the better lakes for fishing lake trout in the Brooks Range include Shainin, Chandler, Kurupa, Elusive, and Itkillik Lakes on the North Slope and Selby-Narvak, Wild, Helpmejack, Chandalar, Squaw, and Walker Lakes on the South Slope. Lake trout are also available in limited numbers in Fielding and Tangle Lakes near Parson and in Harding Lake.
KING SALMON (Chinook)--Chinook or king salmon
are available in the coastal areas from June 1 to July 30. King salmon
first arrive in the Fairbanks area in early July. The daily bag and
possession limit is one king salmon. The popular areas open to salmon
fishing include the lower Chena River, the lower Salcha River, and the
entire Chatanika River. CHUM SALMON (Dog)--As with the king salmon, the summer run of chum salmon first arrives in the Fairbanks area in early July. The fall run arrives in mid-August and continues until mid-to-late October.
SILVER SALMON (Coho)--Naturally occurring runs
of coho or silver salmon are found in selected spring fed tributaries of
the Tanana River in September and October. The Delta Clearwater near
Delta Junction and Clear Creek near Nenana are two of the most popular
sport fishing spots. Silver salmon are also stocked in many landlocked
lakes along the road system from Fairbanks to the Canadian border.
Birch, Quartz, Chena, and Little Harding are some of the better
producers. |
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of the best road
accessible fishing in Interior Alaska. Each year more than 34,000 fish
are harvested.
Fielding Lake State Recreation Site is a
scenic campground at an elevation of 2,973 feet in the Alaska Range.
Because of the elevation, which is above treeline, the ice sometimes
remains on the lake until July. This rustic campground has 17 sites, a
boat launch, and toilets. Fielding Lake State Recreation Site also
offers a public use cabin, which is available by reservation.
area, water and toilets.
streams along the road system near Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Tok have hook-and-release regulations during the spring spawning period,
so be sure to consult the current sport fishing regulations for the
appropriate season. Popular fishing spots are the Chatanika, Chena,
Delta Clearwater, Goodpaster, and Salcha Rivers and the Tangle Lakes
system. Large grayling are available in the Sinuk, Niukluk, and Fish
Rivers near Nome; the Unalakleet River, Norton Sound area; and in the
Clearwater tributaries of the Yukon River. Dry fly pat- terns such as
the Mosquito, Black Gnat, Royal Coachman, or Blue Upright are often used
to take grayling, as are small spinners.
Yukon, and Kuskokwim River drainages, as well as in some waters
of the Seward Peninsula and northwest Alaska. Waters of the upper Tanana
River near Tok, such as the Chisana and Nebesna Rivers, Tetlin,
Mansfield, George, and Volkmar Lakes, are good producers. Minto Flats
area west of Fairbanks, while closed to pike fishing during the winter
months, is still popular with many area anglers. Numerous fly-in lakes
located in the Yukon flats north of Fairbanks offer excellent pike
fishing opportunities as do the many sloughs and clearwater tributaries
of the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers. Medium size lures, spinners, and
spoons are commonly used for pike, and while fishing is generally best
in June, good catches occur during the winter ice fishery.
son, with fall and winter fishing the best. Good
fishing is available near the mouth of the Chena River and the Tanana
River, the Moose and Chisana Rivers near Tok. Good burbot fishing is
also available on the Yukon River with road access from the Haul Road
(Dalton Highway) bridge or at Circle and Eagle (in summer). Anglers
should check the current sport fishing regulations for legal methods,
seasons, and bag limits when fishing for burbot.
streams and lakes but difficult to catch.
Round and humpback whitefish can be taken in streams with salmon eggs on
a small hook. Excellent opportunities to spear whitefish in the Tanana
River drainage and in particular the upper Chatanika River are available
in September and October. The Delta Clearwater River near Delta Junction
provides round whitefish fishing during the spring and summer months.
Small worms and flies seem to work best.
