Alaska Fishing: Not Just Trout, Salmon and Halibut

We’re headed back to Alaska in July and August, and like most anglers we’re excited to catch the species of fish that made the state a holy land for anglers – trout and salmon in the streams and rivers, and halibut in the heavy salt. Through multiple trips to Bear Trail Lodge and one epic overnight journey with Capt. Chris Hanna out of Seward, I’ve experienced those iconic species. It’s understandable why they’re the main draw, but they’re not the only game in town.

Below are two species I’ve caught there that need more love; one I’ve caught elsewhere, and one I’ve yet to catch that intrigues me.

Lesser Known Flyout Trophy – Arctic Grayling

While the fishing on the Naknek that runs past Bear Trail Lodge is exceptional, and the flyouts are most coveted for their rainbow trout opportunities, I’ve been equally wowed by the diminutive grayling. They live around current and use it to their advantage, punch much bigger than their weight, and strike aggressively. It doesn’t hurt that these little brawlers, often called the “sailfish of the north,” are absolutely gorgeous. Put me on a stream or in a bay with an endless supply of those suckers (and running water year round) and I might be happy to chase nothing else for the rest of my life.

Lesser-Known Salt Trophy – Rockfish

While fishing for halibut in 2019, Keith Combs caught the occasional yelloweye rockfish, and then as we headed back to port on Day Two Capt. Chris took us to one spot that was absolutely crawling with black rockfish. In Keith’s hands they looked like a pair of giant largemouths, but cooler than the photo op was the fact that no matter how fast your reeled your spoon out of the depths, they’d swarm around it and fight to get it. On lightish tackle they were a joy. On that trip we caught a handful of the over 30 species that populate the waters off the state, and we also chowed down on some amazing rockfish tacos. Everyone comes to catch a barn door, but these are every bit as fun, and a lot better looking.

Underappreciated Freshwater Wolf – Northern Pike

Northern Pike are the only one of the four species on this list I’ve caught outside of Alaska, and not within Alaska. They were introduced illegally to a section of their current range, and many people blame them for the reduction in trout in their lakes. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no doubt that these prolific feeders feed aggressively, which can make them a blast, either on the fly or on conventional gear. There are now a number of lodges that cater to anglers specifically seeking big backwater pike amongst the weeds.

Dan Smith of “How to Catch Any Fish” with an Alaskan Sheefish

Only in Alaska – Sheefish

The one species on this list that I’d never heard of until recently was the sheefish, also called “inconnu” or “tarpon of the north.” They are anadromous and the largest member of the whitefish family. Sheefish are only native to a limited set of rivers in northwest Alaska. Despite living in a cold weather climate, they grow fairly rapidly, and in some cases can “reach 16 inches in length at age 2, and up to 30 inches in length and weights to 14 pounds by age 8.”

• The world record is 53 pounds and the all-tackle fly record (length) – 35.4” -- was landed in 2021.

• MeatEater’s Stephen Klobucar referred to them as “The Greatest Sportfish You’ve Never Heard Of”

• Our friend Dan Smith has caught them on the Aniak River and has written about the best ways to catch them.

• Per the US Fish and Wildlife Service, here are several popular ways to cook/eat sheefish:

  • Paniqtuq (dried) — If you get a small sheefish, cut it and dry it into what’s called paniqtuq in March/April. There’s still a lot of snow here at that time and it’s a great time to dry sheefish because there are no bugs.

  • Quaq (frozen) — "People will eat sheefish frozen with seal oil and it’s called quaq. You can age it before eating."

  • Baked sheefish — When I bake mine I slather a little bit of mayonnaise on top, garlic, any kind of spices that you like. Hot spicy flavoring. I like to add bits of bacon.

  • Blackened sheefish — Cook it on high heat with your cast iron and you fry it with your hot and spicy rub and it’s blackened sheefish and it’s to die for.

  • Akutaq — Boil the sheefish and squeeze out all the water so it’s extremely dry and flaky. Then mix with caribou, moose, or muskox fat. Then add a variety of berries…whatever berries are available in your area. Mix in seal oil and sugar. Then whip it up. The fat turns just like whipped cream.

For a video taste of the sheefish, check out our friend Joe Cermele’s Hook Shots video from 2019: