Waterlands

Species guide · Alaska

Chum salmon fishing in Alaska

Oncorhynchus keta, a sea-run species also called dog salmon, dogs and keta. Listed for the Alaska region. Off season, about 1 more week.

Right now it scores best in Barren Islands East at 35, one of 66 Alaska bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Off season
Where it's scoring nowAll Alaska waters

Season by month

From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.

Alaska

Off season, about 1 more week
  1. Jan: Not present
  2. Feb: Not present
  3. Mar: Not present
  4. Apr: Not present
  5. May: Not present
  6. Jun: Off season
  7. Jul: Peak season
  8. Aug: Peak season
  9. Sep: Off season
  10. Oct: Not present
  11. Nov: Not present
  12. Dec: Not present

Peak: Jul to Aug.

Research notes, Alaska region

Summer chum in Southeast Alaska are best late July through mid-August, mostly at hatchery terminal areas and stream mouths such as Amalga Harbor, Macaulay Hatchery near Juneau and Deep Inlet near Sitka. Resurrection Bay chum return early July through early August.

Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.

Where it's scoring now · 66

Alaska bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's chum salmon score this hour.

1
35Fair
Barren Islands East

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 114 named spots

2
35Fair
Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 50 named spots

3
35Fair
Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 7 named spots

4
35Fair
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 21 named spots

5
35Fair
Cape Espenberg to Motherwood Point out to 10 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 6 named spots

6
35Fair
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 29 named spots

7
35Fair
Cape Krusenstern to Cape Thompson out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 4 named spots

8
35Fair
Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 15 named spots

9
35Fair
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 5 named spots

10
35Fair
Castle Cape to Cape Tolstoi out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 112 named spots

11
35Fair
Central and Eastern Prince William Sound

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 130 named spots

12
35Fair
Chiniak Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 28 named spots

13
35Fair
Clarence Strait

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 423 named spots

14
35Fair
Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 18 named spots

15
35Fair
Cook Inlet North Kalgin Island

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 40 named spots

16
35Fair
Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 21 named spots

17
35Fair
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 40 named spots

18
35Fair
Frederick Sound

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 81 named spots

19
35Fair
Glacier Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 44 named spots

20
35Fair
Icy Strait

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 37 named spots

21
35Fair
Kachemak Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 36 named spots

22
35Fair
Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 14 named spots

23
35Fair
Marmot Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 84 named spots

24
35Fair
Moses Point to Sledge Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 10 named spots

25
35Fair
Motherwood Point to Cape Krusenstern out to 10 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 14 named spots

26
35Fair
Nikolski to Seguam Bering Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 11 AM-3 PM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 6 AM (35) · 10 named spots

27
35Fair
North and West of Nunivak Island

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 42 named spots

28
35Fair
Northern Chatham Strait

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 151 named spots

29
35Fair
Northern Lynn Canal

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 34 named spots

30
35Fair
Northwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 100 named spots

31
35Fair
Passage Canal

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 8 named spots

32
35Fair
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 40 named spots

33
35Fair
Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 29 named spots

34
35Fair
Port of Valdez

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 5 named spots

35
35Fair
Resurrection Bay

Best window today 12-11 PM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 2 AM (35)

36
35Fair
Shelikof Strait

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 184 named spots

37
35Fair
Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 9 named spots

38
35Fair
Southern Chatham Strait

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 186 named spots

39
35Fair
Southern Lynn Canal

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 23 named spots

40
35Fair
Southwest Prince William Sound

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 215 named spots

41
35Fair
Stephens Passage

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 108 named spots

42
35Fair
Sumner Strait

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 378 named spots

43
35Fair
Unalaska Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 85 named spots

44
35Fair
Unimak Pass

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 203 named spots

45
35Fair
Valdez Arm

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 12 named spots

46
35Fair
Valdez Narrows

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 3 named spots

47
35Fair
West of Barren Islands Including Kamishak Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 33 named spots

48
35Fair
Yakutat Bay

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 55 named spots

49
34Fair
Cross Sound

Best window today 12-10 PM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 153 named spots

50
33Fair
Adak to Kiska Bering Side

Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (33) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 8 AM (35) · 214 named spots

51
33Fair
Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (33) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 9 PM (35) · 28 named spots

52
33Fair
Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 NM

Best window today 12-7 PM (33) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 8 AM (35) · 2 named spots

53
32Fair
Adak to Kiska Pacific Side

Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (32) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (35) · 162 named spots

54
32Fair
Nikolski to Seguam Pacfic Side out to 15 NM

Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (32) · Best day Mon, Sep 21 at 7 PM (35) · 7 named spots

55
30Fair
Guam Coastal Waters

Best window today 6 AM-8 PM (34) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 1 AM (35)

56
30Fair
Kiska to Attu Bering Side

Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 7 PM (35) · 39 named spots

57
30Fair
Kiska to Attu Pacific Side

Best window today 11 AM-12 AM (33) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 11 PM (35) · 53 named spots

58
30Fair
North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 12 PM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 PM (35) · 27 named spots

59
30Fair
Rota Coastal Waters

Best window today 6 AM-12 AM (30) · Best day Wed, Sep 23 at 7 PM (35)

60
30Fair
Saint Matthew Island Waters

Best window today 12-6 PM (30) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 10 AM (35) · 4 named spots

61
30Fair
Saipan Coastal Waters

Best window today 6 AM-12 AM (30) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 3 AM (35)

62
30Fair
Tinian Coastal Waters

Best window today 6 AM-12 AM (30) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 11 PM (35)

63
27Fair
South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 NM

Best window today 2-11 PM (35) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 2 AM (35) · 25 named spots

64
25Fair
Koror Palau Coastal Waters

Best window today 4-8 PM (31) · Best day Sun, Sep 20 at 7 AM (35)

65
25Fair
Yap Coastal Waters

Best window today 11 AM-9 PM (28) · Best day Tue, Sep 22 at 9 AM (35)

66
24Poor
Icy Cape to Cape Suckling out to 15 NM

Best window today 1-10 PM (30) · Best day Fri, Sep 18 at 12 AM (35) · 2 named spots

How and where it feeds

Water temperature
Feeds from 42°F to 60°F, best between 46°F and 55°F.
Water depth
3 to 40 ft of water.
Structure
Estuary, beach, bay, inlet, channel and point, in that order of preference.
Tide and current
Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with light current.Chum stage off stream mouths and hatchery beaches before moving into fresh water. Anglers at terminal areas generally do best as the flood pushes new fish toward the beach and at high water. This is guide consensus; agency pages describe the locations and dates, not tide stage.
Light
Some lift around dawn and dusk.
Pressure
Little response to pressure changes.
Wind and sea limits
18 kt of wind and 3 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.

Tackle and technique

Chum stage off stream mouths and hatchery beaches in late fall in Puget Sound and Hood Canal and in midsummer in Southeast Alaska. Fish from the beach or a skiff in 5 to 30 feet with a green or cerise jig under a float, a large fly or a spoon. They fight hard, so step up to 12 to 20 pound line.

Methods
casting from the beach, float fishing, fly fishing, trolling in terminal areas
Lures
green or cerise marabou jigs under a float, chartreuse and cerise flies, spoons, spinners, green hoochie behind a flasher
Bait
herring strip, cured shrimp

Regulations

ADF&G saltwater regulations Buy a Alaska fishing license License types

Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Synced with ADF&G Sep 18, 2026.

No reviewed chum salmon rule for Alaska is on file yet. Check with ADF&G before you keep one.

Other Alaska species