June 2026 Alaska Fishing Reports
June is our best month for catching king (Chinook) salmon in the Mat-Su Valley between Anchorage and Denali National Park. We are guiding king salmon fishing trips in June 2026 to the Knik River side-channel below Ekltuna Tailrace. If you want to fish for / hope to catch a large ocean-run king salmon in the Mat-Su Valley north of Anchorage, Eklutna Tailrace and the Knik River side-channel is the only location open for fishing for Alaska’s official state fish at the start of the 2026 season. This location is open to salmon harvest 365 days per year, on a 24 hour per day basis, with bait and multiple hooks allowed the entire time. While a few king salmon are taken in May and July from this location, the month of June is when most Knik River king salmon are harvested. The water is usually clearer and shallower earlier in June, causing king to bunch up and wait for higher runoff levels before continuing their migration up the side-channel to their destination at Eklutna Tailrace. Later in June as the river becomes higher and cloudier king salmon migration through the side-channel picks up speed. After a heavy rain or warm spell melting Knik Glacier the river level can rise substantially and become more clouded with glacial silt, which can slow down the king salmon catching at this location. The action picks up again, whenever a spell of cooler weather causes the river to drop / clear, or during times of large releases of cleaner water through the Eklutna power plant, down the tailrace, and into the Knik River side-channel.
The Knik River side-channel will be our primary location when fishing for ocean-run salmon during June, however, we’ve also caught some sockeye salmon, chum salmon, and even some extremely early-run coho salmon from Little Susitna River in late June. Therefore, depending upon river conditions, we MAY guide a few trips to Little Susitna River or other locations for other species– especially during the later half of June, and certainly during July. Note: Our guest have caught king salmon on diving plugs, Flashtrap Spinners, and Fire Cured salmon roe. By far bait fishing accounted for most of our guests’ king salmon caught during the 2025 season, however, we are willing to switch things up and try different tactics (sometime it pays off)!
Most Recent Fishing Reports (Updates starting June 1):
June 5, 2026 — I guided a group of 4 people for king salmon, and 2 of them caught and harvested a king salmon. Both fish were caught on Fire Cured salmon roe. During the trip wee saw a sandhill crane, a very low flying airplane, and about a half dozen other groups of boaters out looking to catch a salmon. The water had been coming up and there is a considerable amount of color from the warm weather melting the Knik Glacier.
June 4, 2026 — I checked out the Knik River and Eklutna Tailrace water levels today. There is a small amount of Knik River water now flowing down the side-channel and the water level has risen following a couple of the warmest days we have had this year.
June 3, 2026 — I guided a single guest for rainbow trout and graying out of Deshka Landing. We covered lots of water up the Deshka River, and he caught one grayling, and fought a nice rainbow trout up to the boat before it shook loose. Although he fished holes all the way up to the weir site, we simply did not find many fish willing to bite. During the trip we saw arctic terns and waterfowl along the river. Near the Deshka River confluence wiht the Susitna River we saw a group fish surfacing both on our trip upriver and on our trip downriver, however, I was fairly certain they were likely king salmon — so we did not fish anywhere near the Deshka River mouth. I learned after the trip that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game finished installing the Desehka River weir late in the day.
June 2, 2026 — I guided a man and his son out of Deshka Landing for trout and grayling. At the first spot we stopped the man caught a grayling and rainbow trout on a spinner. We saw additional fish surfacing at that spot, but did not catch any more. We cover lots of water during the rest of the trip, but did not hook anymore fish. We saw some ducks, a pair of high flying geese, and a moose along the Susitna River tributary we were fishing. It was a nice warm day out on the water today — easily one of the warmest days so far this year in Southcentral Alaska. :likely topping 70 degrees.