Eielson AFB Hike in Fishing

[B Buck]

Hello Outdoorsmen!

Myself and some boys from Wisconsin are headed to your great state of Alaska in August for 3 weeks of training at Eielson AFB. We would love to get out after work and do some fishing in the local area. What areas do you recommend within an hour of Eielson AFB? Also we'd like to do a weekend trip somewhere and hike in to a backcountry cabin with some good fishing. http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/cabins/north.htm#srsrs I couldnt find much for details on the fishing near these cabins. Any ideas? Thanks for any help you can give us. Can't wait to see your beautiful state!

Brandon

[Raffpappy]

Truth be told, you won't find a lot of "good" fishing within an hour of Eielson AFB, unless you're into 9-10" stockies (bows, char, grayling) that just went into local lakes! We do have some local sloughs/rivers with decent grayling fishing. Piledriver Slough can be accessed both on base and locally for these fish. Time permitting, you could rent a canoe from Outdoor Rec and float this slough from near Grayling Lake Eielson down to the Eielson Farm Road. It's a calm, safe float with literally thousands of grayling and lots of wildlife. My wife and I floated it a couple times last year and had a blast. There's also the upper Chena River which is a bit further than an hour away where you can get into larger grayling. Don't keep any, though, for it's all catch and release for grayling in most local waters other than lakes. As for hike-in cabins, I'm not sure. There are several campsites that fill up very quickly on the weekends, though.

If you get a couple days off in your schedule, you MUST head to the klutina river for some red (sockeye salmon), although it's 4 hours away. Maybe you'll have a weekend or two to enjoy some real fishing! Your arrival/stay here coincides near perfectly for this river and it's red salmon run. With luck, maybe somebody from the host unit or a base local can show you the ropes. Seriously, take advantage of this opportunity while you're here. That trip, if you can make it, will provide you your Alaska memories!

Good luck and enjoy that Red Flag! hahahaha

[JediMasterSalmonSlayer]

Delta Clearwater - a realistic chance at a trophy size arctc grayling from the campround shore. 90 miles from EAFB.

[BlueMoose]

First off don't even show up to Alaska with out some fresh curds and string cheese! Not the store packaged stuff the real deal straight from the dairy!

Couple of other options within 90 miles or so of Eielson: Delta Clear Water which is one of premier Grayling fishing streams around. The upper Chena by that time will be fishing the North Fork starting at 38 mile and working your way up river to about 60 mile you can walk a lot of it so enjoy. Thing about Grayling is the larger fish travel further up stream so your timing is good. You should contact our friends at Fort Greeley as well in Delta Junction there are several lake fishing opportunities on Post and off Post. As mentioned by Raffpappy lots of stocked lakes as well between Eielson and the Upper Chena all with fish just not "fishing" Fishing" compared to some other options. You also have three excellent lakes on Eielson to include Moose Lake officer housing is built around it Pike and Rainbows and Manchu Lake Rainbows.

If you have some additional time contact Arctic Grayling guide Service http://wildernessfishing.com/ great people and they do a great job you could find your-self fishing Chum, Pike and Grayling at a reasonable price.

If your long hauling it over a weekend you have two options Richardson Highway Gulkana and Klutina 4-5 hours away, and or Tangle Lakes 3.5 hours away with several walk in options and possible cabin rentals http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/...Denali-Highway

Or which I feel is a better choice if catching Salmon would be your main target Pinks, Chums and Silvers and that would be Willow, Montana, and Troublesome Creek as well as a hand full of others and if the water is good I am talking catching not fishing.

There is one more I should mention and that is Dune Lake call Matt he is retired Heavy Alaska ANG guru and runs a first rate business again IMO a reasonable rate and package deal for Pike and Bows. http://www.akpikefishing.com/ Flyout with Cabin, boat and motor package.

Have fun while you are here, and best of luck with that fishing thing.

Respectfully

Richard "Moose" Mousseau
Blue Moose Rafting
Retired USAF

[Sid]

just remember Grayling are great fixed on the bank of the stream, but get soft real fast, don't hold up very long out of water ,
that is what I have found out SID roud:

[Frostbitten]

Grab your flyrods, take a day and float Piledriver Slough. Launch in Salcha and float it all the way to the flood control dike.

[Erik in AK]

Assuming you have a vehicle, get a map and drive out to Brigadier Road on the back side of base. Follow it to its end (17 miles) and park below the "golf ball". You wll see a downhill trail leading SE towards the Salcha River. It's a hump but it will take you to the middle Salcha and the grayling fishing there is good. Otherwise I second Piledriver Slough. #14 Bead-head Ribbed Hare's Ear

[mlshore]

Not so much a fan of Piledriver, although it's close. I'd second the Salcha recommendation. There are also some decent pike in some of the gravel pits around North Pole but those don't exactly give you the feeling of being in the Alaska wilderness (on the other hand, if you like burned-out shot-up cars, they're the ticket). There's also fishing at the end of Grange Hall, if you follow it north from the base.

As for keeping and cooking, whether or not that's legal varies by water and date. It's never legal to retain a grayling from Piledriver or other flowing waters in the Chena drainage. You can keep 5 per day from the Salcha.

[BlueMoose]

Don't want to be 'That Person" however I will today but just once. P. Driver is really a non-player the first week of August it is a spawn shop for a long time but by August the fishing has consistently sub par IMO. Mind you yes there are fish there in fact secondary wayward chums can be found in it come late July few and far between but it happens. As always just being out is fun so sure why not chase the limited fishing at P. D. just time would be better spent searching more productive waters again IMO.


Regards

RMM

[Ak Laker Hunter]

I would hit Chatanika its about 12 miles past Fairbanks but you can catch Grays,white fish, Pike,Shee fish ,Chum salmon and see some kings swim by. The salmon are in spawning colors. unfortually kings are off limits so you are not allowed to target them. you can catch them all on fly rods or reg. rods and real. if you got weekends off head down to montana creek for better salmon fishing. its a drive but worth it if not rain'd out

[Frostbitten]

If you can get your hands on a canoe and a vehicle (two is better), plan a day float down the Little Chena. Launch on Chena Hot Springs Road, and recover at Nordale Road.

[mlshore]

If you can get your hands on a canoe and a vehicle (two is better), plan a day float down the Little Chena. Launch on Chena Hot Springs Road, and recover at Nordale Road.

That is an outstanding suggestion.

[B Buck]

Wow. Thank you for these great replies. I want to make the most out of this trip and you guys have given me some great advice! I will bring some cheese curds and string cheese for all! Ha! It looks like we'll be driving a bit but I have no problem driving 3+ hours on a weekend if it will get me to some good fishing. As far as work days it sounds like there is some "decent" fishing albeit smaller stocked fish that I can hit on work days near base. Regarding fishing gear what pound test and rod should I have? I have mostly medium action gear and fish with 4-8 pound test in Wisconsin but I would imagine I'll want a heavy action setup if I plan to target some river salmon? My salmon fishing in Wisconsin is done with downriggers out of the back of a boat with a beer in hand so I'm pretty green to shore fishing for them! Thanks again for all this great info.

Brandon

[Frostbitten]

B Buck, I highly recommend to get a hold of JediMasterSalmonSlayer. There isn't a fish in the entire state of AK that's safe from that man!!! No doubt he will have some pearls of wisdom for you.

[TradBow]

if you're up for a couple days and a drive, the silvers will be coming in as well in the valley and also in valdez. you could also look at the military rec in seward. If you're up for it, holler, I'd be game for a drive up till aug 9th, after that the rods are put up.

You'd be short of crazy to limit yourself to Fairbanks, though a 4wt for grayling is a lot of fun...as mentioned. Delta Clearwater is another as Dennis mentioned and another good candidate for a float. Its not as good down river as it is up, but the first few miles down can be amazing as well! After that the river slows down and it becomes more of a float than a fishing trip. Either way you wont regret it! The upper chena is another good local grayling hole..

You could also look for a fly in day trip with Marina Air. http://www.akpikefishing.com/

http://www.akpikefishing.com/