At RiverRise Fishing Guides, we’re excited to share the thrill of fishing for King Salmon in the stunning waters of Alaska and Washington. These incredible fish, known for their size and spirited fights, are a favorite among anglers looking for both a challenge! Whether you’re floating the wild rivers of Alaska or back-bouncing through the deep holes in the rivers of Washington, our experienced guides are ready to help you find the best spots and share valuable tips to enhance your fishing experience. Let’s dive into the techniques, seasonal insights, and gear you’ll need to make your King Salmon fishing trip truly memorable!
When And Where We Fish For King Salmon
Although you can chase King Salmon for a good majority of the year throughout Alaska and Washington, we target them for a few months specifically:
- Late March to May – We fish for Springers on the Kalama River from our 17′ Willie Drift Boat or our 14′ whitewater raft, depending on the water conditions. The Kalama River is a good river for running plugs and back-bouncing cured salmon eggs.
- Around the third week of May, you can find us on the Kasilof River chasing early run Kasilof King Salmon. The Kings on the Kasilof River begin trickling in around the third week of May with the arrival of the hatchery run Kings. The hatchery run will last until about the end of June, right before the big Wild Kasilof Kings start showing up. We use all of the traditional methods to target them; pulling plugs and diver/bait, back-bouncing cured eggs, as well as bobber and eggs in the slower sections.
- We take a break from King Salmon fishing between July and September and then from September until late November, you’ll find us down on the Hoh River or Humptulips River chasing Fall Kings.
The number of King Salmon have been declining over the last few years, but there are still plenty of fish to be caught and knowing when and where to get them is key to being successful. If you’re looking for a King Salmon fishing trip, our guides are very passionate and dedicated to both the fishery and the sport, we will get you on the fish!
The Gear We Use to Catch King Salmon
Fishing rods for King Salmon:
- All of our King Salmon rods are made by Stryker Fishing Rods out of Oregon, custom made for RiverRise. The conventional rods are 9′ diver/plug rods and our spinning rods are 10′ 10-20lb float rods. Having the right fishing rod is essential when fishing for Kings!
Fishing reels for King Salmon:
- We use both conventional and spinning reels for Kings. Our conventional reels are Shimano Tekota 400s with line counters and our spinning reels are all 13 Fishing AL-13 reels.
Fishing line for King Salmon:
- The line that we use for King Salmon is all P-Line brand. We use 40-60 pound braid for our mainline and then we use a 30-40 pound fluorocarbon for our leader.
Baits for King Salmon:
- There are really two types of baits that we use for King Salmon; we fish with either lures (like Kwikfish or MagLips) or cured salmon eggs. Both baits are cured specifically to where we are fishing at the time. Some rivers prefer a “hotter” cure, while others use sweeter cures.
Come Join The Fun!
