Deshka River Fishing Guides
Guided Fishing Trips and Charters on the Deshka River
Fishing Guides on the Deshka River
If your Fishing Charter or Echo Tour with us starts at the Deshka Landing, please visit our Deshka Weathercam Page for current weather and boat launch images. If you need information on booking us for your Salmon Fishing Charter on the Deshka River, please see our Rates page. We would love to take you on a Fishing Charter!
Salmon Fishing on the Deshka River
A day with your Deshka River Guide starts at the Deshka Landing; this is where you will be met and greeted by your guide. Please visit our Contact Page for directions. Be sure you have your fishing license, king salmon stamp ( if fishing for kings ) water bottle, snacks, or lunch and foul weather gear. Our custom welded aluminum jet boat is equipped with six seats and boxes for our clients. The boat is 25 feet in length and has plenty of room for our guests. You will be able to store your extra gear and lunch in your own seat box. Your trip begins with a 20 minute boat ride on the Susitna River, which is a glacial fed river. Along the way we have seen Black bears and moose; so don’t forget to bring your camera. Once at the Deshka River, you will notice a color change in the water as it is a fresh water river. Once there, the guide will provide you with his knowledge and gear for catching your Alaskan King or Silver Salmon. As you are fishing, keep an eye out for wildlife such as eagles, beaver, bear and moose. Once the trip is completed, your guide will carefully fillet and put your catch in a ziplock bag for you to travel home with. You might want to bring a cooler to store your fish in for the ride home; but please leave your cooler in your vehicle.
Salmon Fishing on the Little Susitna River
A day with your Little Susitna River Guide starts at the state public use launch site. Please visit our Contact Page for directions. This is where you will meet your guide for a fun filled day of fishing. As you jet boat down or up this river you may also see bear, eagles, beaver and moose. So again please bring a camera as there is plenty of room for storage of your gear in our 25 foot jet boat. This river is a fresh water river so unlike the Deshka River trip it is not glacial fed. This river is a little less used but has quality fishing as well. There have been king salmon in the 50 pound class caught here every year. Again you will need to bring your fishing license and king salmon stamp; the facilities there do not sell licenses. As with our Deshka trips, your guide will clean your catch and put in a ziplock bag for your travel home.
Fishing for King Salmon on the Deshka River
King salmon on the Deshka River average around 15 to 30 pounds; with larger fish up to 50 pounds. It all starts with the female king salmon returning to the original river in which she came from. She will spend 1 to 7 years out in the ocean feeding once she leaves the fresh water stream. Then she will return to the original stream. This is when she starts to die. She is there for one reason and that is drop the thousands of eggs in which she is carrying back to the stream. The male of the species will fertilize these eggs and it will start all over again. King salmon usually start to show up in the Deshka River as early as May 15th. We at Alaska Chinook Charters start to fish this river around the 21st of May. As the days pass by, more and more kings show up in the river. This is why timing of booking your trip is important to you. The season closes on the 13th of July. At this time the run is starting to slow down and the quality of the meat of the kings is not as good as the peak of the season. You may still catch your king but may have to sort thru a few fish to get a bright king that has quality meat. So most people will book their spots early to guarantee a bright king salmon.
Fishing for Silver Salmon on the Deshka River
Silver salmon on the Deshka River usually average 8 to 12 pounds; with larger fish up to 15 pounds. It all starts with the female fry spending 1 to 3 winters in fresh water then leaving for the ocean. Some of these fish will only spend 6 months out there, and then return. Most of them will spend 18 months out in the ocean then return to the original river or stream in which they came from. The silvers start to show up in the rivers in the Matsu-Valley area around the 21st of July. They will usually run until the end of August and sometimes into September. Though the Silver salmon is not the usually targeted fish in Alaska they can be a fun and exciting fish to catch so book early and get in on the fun!!
Don't Miss out and book early!
Alaska Salmon run timing for the Deshka and Little Susitna Rivers
This chart shows the approximate salmon run in the Deshka – Little Susitna River drainages. The dates are approximate but show when we do best with the King salmon and with the Silver Salmon. The Red, Chum and Pink salmon are incidental to these rivers and are not our main target.
