Fishing in Alaska in June is a great month for anglers! As the kick-off into summer, the temperatures stabilize and the midnight sun allows anglers plenty of time to fish. Not to mention the overwhelming fishing options! Mid-to-late June is prime time for finding chrome fish. Sockeye begin to trickle in along with the kings, and the runs really start pumping by the month’s end.
June trout fishing in Alaska is great across the state. The trout are back on the feed after completing their spring spawning and are eager to eat! Sculpins and mice are guide favorites this time of year. On rivers such as the upper Kenai, rainbows are frequently caught on nymphs. If you’re fishing Bristol Bay, you will likely hear about the famous springtime ‘fry busts’ around the lodges. Each spring, millions of salmon fry begin their out-migration from the freshwater, and trout key in on this heavily! It’s an incredible fishing opportunity.
Fishing in Alaska in June for Salmon
June is one of the most pleasant months to fish in Alaska! Besides having some of the best weather of the summer, it also provides some of the best opportunities to catch King and Sockeye Salmon. Not every river in Alaska gets the same runs of salmon or the same run timing. It’s important to do your research accordingly before showing up.
King Salmon Fishing in Alaska in June:
King Salmon begin showing up in some rivers as early as late May and continue to run through mid-July. However, June is the prime month during the King run. The beginning weeks of June tend to be slower in most rivers, though early fish are often HUGE.
The third and fourth weeks of June see the most fish around and is often when the largest pushes of fresh fish enter the rivers. These weeks are our favorite for using fly fishing and spey fishing methods for king salmon.
Remember to keep an eye on King Salmon emergency orders when fishing popular rivers like the Kenai, Sustina watershed, or Nushagak River. Unfortunately, with the global decline of king salmon populations Alaska Department of Fish has been emergently shutting down king fisheries. It’s always smart to keep an eye on the emergency orders on the ADFG website for these emergency orders.
Sockeye Salmon Fishing in Alaska in June:
Sockeye Salmon fishing in Alaska in June is the beginning of the run. This simply means, the later in the month you fish for them, the better it will be! Sockeye peak in July, and so do the crowds. June can be a great time to have a gravel bar to yourself rather than be combat-fishing, as is common in July.
Fly Fishing in Alaska in July for Dolly Varden, Grayling & Trout
Salmon fishing brings a lot of attention to Alaska, but anglers should not forget about the other species! June is an exceptional month for sight fishing to Dolly Varden, Arctic Grayling, Pike and of course, Rainbow Trout! Our favorite method for fishing for these species is fly fishing. There’s no place like Alaska to give it a try! You will not regret it!
Rainbow Trout Fishing in Alaska in June:
The bright blue and often sunny days of June should be spent on the water! With clear water and ideal sight fishing weather, anglers should fish for trout! In our experience, bright days in June are the best days to go mouse fishing! Watching a giant trout eat a mouse pattern off the water’s surface takes dry fly fishing to a whole new level. Very few destinations are better than Alaska to do this!
Besides the epic mouse and streamer fishing that can be found across the state in June, nymphing tactics can be deadly too! On rivers like the Kenai, guides focus on patterns like pheasant tails, prince nymphs and caddis larva during June. This is because bead fishing has not started to get good yet! Just be sure to use stout hooks on your flies, these trout are built stronger than those in the lower 48.
Dolly Varden:
Similar to trout fishing, June is a productive month for Dolly Varden fly fishing. These opportunistic char will eat beads, even though the seasonal salmon spawning hasn’t started yet! Resident Dollies can be found in most river systems year-round, and some of the larger anadromous dollies will start following the salmon in during the month of June.
When Dolly fishing, bring a camera! These fish are very closely related to brook trout, except the average sized dolly is a trophy in comparison! Dolly seem to congregate in certain areas of a river, so once you’ve found one, you will likely find more.
Arctic Grayling:
Fly fishing in Alaska in June for arctic grayling is often considered peak season. Anglers fishing in western Alaska or fishing near Denali should concentrate on these elegant fish. Other great locations include the Kenai Peninsula and areas around Fairbanks, AK.
Dry fly fishing for arctic grayling is our recommended method. After a long winter, grayling across Alaska will readily be taking dry flies in June! Sometimes nymphs and streamers should be used as well. In June, It’s not uncommon to use mouse flies for grayling – we think it weeds out the little fish and is a great way to land a trophy!
Review of Fishing in Alaska in June
Generally speaking, June is a great month to visit Alaska for a fishing trip. For spey anglers seeking the mighty king salmon, this is the month to come! When the weather is bright and sunny, be sure to go trout fishing, as kings prefer cloudy weather!
There really is not a better month for mouse fishing than June. If trout are your goal, this is a great month. Pike fishing is great, and they can be found in shallow bays this time of year.
Sockeye just begin to show up during June and should not be the focus of your trip. However, if it is important to you that you bring salmon home for the freezer, we recommend going sockeye fishing. Sockeye populations are strong across Alaska, whereas king salmon are on the decline. Bring sockeye home instead of kings!