King Salmon
aka "Chinook"

Want to battle behemoth sized fish? Try sight casting to these “giant red missiles” in a small stream and you’ll experience Alaska’s biggest and strongest salmon species. And these battle-ready fish will definitely put your 9 weight rod to the test!

The king salmon in this watershed range from 6 pounds to the possible but rare 25+ pounds, with most fish ranging 8 to 20 pounds. Big bright streamers placed right on the end of their nose usually does the trick. Yes, they can be finicky! Heavily weighted flies and persistence are paramount. Sink-tip fly lines can be helpful if the flows are higher than normal, but a floating lines does the trick 99% of the time.

If fly fishing for king salmon is a trip priority for you, target July 4th or later.


  • Rod

    9 or 10 weight single handed rods with medium-fast to fast action

  • Reel

    Durable reels with strong disc drag and 200 yards of 30 pound backing

  • Line

    A floating line works well in most conditions. Helpful at times: a sink tip in the 10 to 15 foot range with a medium to fast sink rate.

  • Leader

    20 pound