Alaska Pink Salmon Fishing

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Preparing for your Alaska Pink Salmon Fishing Experience

Alaska pink salmon fishing is the ultimate venue for the novice spin or fly fishing enthusiast. Pinks or 'humpies' are the most numerous of Alaska salmon species, are very aggressive and can be caught throughout the river system. 100 fish per day is achievable, so it's ok to pinch yourself. Alaska Pink Salmon, or "humpback" "humpy" salmon enter into Lake Creek Alaska by Mid-July in large numbers. Pinks are the smallest of the salmon species, but are the most numerous. Alaska pink salmon run 3-6 lbs and provide an excellent fight on light tackle. Being extremely aggressive, they attack any lure or fly presented in the correct manner. Both spin and fly fishing for pink salmon is highly productive and you can expect to catch large numbers of fish in a variety of locations throughout our primary river system and surrounding tributaries. Pinks run strong until Mid-August when they begin the onset of their spawning season. During this time, thousands of pink salmon congregate in the shallow gravel areas off the main river channel. Rainbow trout can be see cruising through spawning schools of pinks feeding on eggs that escape from spawning redds.

Nice pink salmon on fly fishing gear at our Alaska lodge.

Alaska pink salmon fly-in river fishing trips

Alaska Pink Salmon Gear

Outfit yourself for your pink salmon fishing trip. If you prefer to not bring your own fishing equipment, our lodge provides all you need to be as a complimentary part of our inclusive fishing lodge packages.

Spin fishing tactics for alaska sockeye salmon.

Pink Salmon Spin Fishing

Pink salmon respond most readily to Vibrax, Panther Martin or Mepps Aglia spinners. Spinners are much easier to fish in shallow haunts where pink salmon congregate. A good combination of spinners of different sizes, colors and different shaped spinner blades will allow a wide variety of options and presentations. Pink/silver and green/silver seem to be the best color combinations preferred by pinks in our river system. As mentioned with other salmon species, special attention is needed to cast the perimeter around holding fish so as not to spook schooling pinks. Be sure to visit our Alaska spin fishing guide for more!

Fly Fishing for Pinks

Alaska fly fishing trips for pink salmon is an awesome experience for novice and accomplished fly fishermen. We spot cast to large schools pink salmon congregating throughout our river. Fly fishing for pinks is cast and retrieve, much like silvers and chums. The sheer numbers of pinks in our river system in July and August offers non-stop action. It's a great first fly fishing experience for those who have not tried the art. You can learn the basics of fly casting and presentation with the luxury of hooking dozens of pinks in the process! Please see our Alaska fly fishing guide for more details.

Pink Salmon Fly Patterns

Be sure to visit our signature Alaska fly patterns page for more suggested pink salmon flies. Be sure to visit our signature Alaska fly patterns page for more suggested chum flies. Pink salmon flies are smaller, lightly weighted streamers. Typically, we fish size 2 fly patterns with a fairly strong, low-profile long-shank hook. Pinks almost always trail flies, but don't always hit immediately, so it's important that the fly looks as natural as possible. Any kind of a pink prawn imitation fly is a great choice. It's always good to have a variety of weights and sizes to change up the action & presentation depth. Stripping flies with a short popping actions is often the most effective presentation.

Pinks: Peak Fishing Dates

Follow the link to view our Alaska peak salmon run calendar. Pink salmon peak from mid-July through mid-August. Best fishing periods for pinks overlap the peak sockeye run in mid-July and also the peak silver and chum runs in late July and August. Native trout fishing is consistent throughout the summer season.

Pink Salmon: Printable Planning Resources

Follow the link below for a simple sheet with our basic spin fishing lures our guides use to target salmon species within our river system.

Printable Spin Fishing Lures

We have created an assortment of some our our favorite fly patterns to target pink salmon in our Alaska river if you prefer to tie some up prior to your trip!

Printable Pink Fly Patterns

For further information on trip packing, Alaska fishing regulations and river guides, visit our guides and resources page below.

Pink Salmon Gear Guide

Alaska Facts: Pink Salmon

Pink salmon are the smallest yet most abundant salmon species in the north Pacific ocean. Pinks weigh an average of 3-5 pounds. Like chum salmon, baby pink salmon fry do not reside in freshwater for very long prior to migrating to the ocean. They spend the bulk of their lives in saltwater. During the spawning phase, male pink salmon develop a pronounced curve in their backs. For this reason, pinks are popularly knows as Humpback salmon, or "humpies." A pink's lifespan is fairly short as they typically only live 2 years before returning to their home rivers to spawn. Pinks are probably one of the best species in the world for beginner fishermen to target. They pile up by the thousands in the mouth of our clear-water rivers and are easy to cast to and catch. They are beautiful fish and fight hard for their size. We host many families and kids each July that come to target pinks along with sockeye and the occasional chum and silver salmon.

Fishing Alaska - Pink Salmon

Preparing for your Alaska Pink Salmon Fishing Experience