It’s a fishing day

Gulkana River (Sourdough) fishing conditions · Alaska

Sit it outno sockeye salmon window clears the bar in 36 hours

Water is 32°, below the 40–60° sockeye salmon like.

Log a trip here
Right now: 18 for sockeye salmon, sit it outTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Sockeye salmon, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 1812 pm
  2. 18
  3. 18
  4. 183 pm
  5. 23
  6. 23
  7. 336 pm
  8. 33
  9. 33
  10. 339 pm
  11. 33
  12. 33
  13. 33Sun
  14. 33
  15. 33
  16. 233 am
  17. 23
  18. 23
  19. 236 am
  20. 23
  21. 23
  22. 239 am
  23. 23
  24. 23
  25. 3312 pm
  26. 33
  27. 33
  28. 233 pm
  29. 23
  30. 23
  31. 336 pm
  32. 33
  33. 33
  34. 239 pm
  35. 23
  36. 23
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
32°F

Sockeye salmon range 40–60°

Wind
0 mph

From the

Light
Daylight

Sunset 4:17 pm

Sky
Mostly Cloudy

7% chance of rain

Air
22°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Rising

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
5% lit

Waning crescent

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alaska non-tidal regulations for these waters.

Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye salmon

Oncorhynchus nerka

33Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

32°
30°40–60° · ideal 52°70°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Below sockeye salmon's active range (40–60°F). Holds 1–20 ft down.

Keep

3 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Upper Copper and Upper Susitna: sockeye 16" or longer are 3 a day, 6 in possession; under 16", 10 a day. A sockeye taken out of the water must be kept. On the Gulkana mainstem from the Richardson Highway bridge up to the marker above the West Fork, bait and treble hooks are allowed June 1–July 19; otherwise one unbaited single-hook lure or fly. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Upper Copper River drainage

Season here: Jun–Aug. More on sockeye salmon

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

33Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

32°
35°45–68° · ideal 55°78°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Below rainbow trout's active range (45–68°F). Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

no harvest

Catch and release only today. Gulkana River drainage: rainbow/steelhead trout are catch-and-release only and must be released immediately. In flowing waters, only unbaited single-hook artificial lures or flies, except on the mainstem sections where bait and treble hooks are allowed June 1–July 19. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Gulkana River drainage

Season here: Jun–Sep, from this spot’s water-temperature record, 2023–2025. More on rainbow trout

Arctic Grayling

Arctic grayling

Thymallus arcticus

33Sit it outNo window clears the bar

Water

32°
29°39–60° · ideal 50°70°

Why

Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Below Arctic grayling's active range (39–60°F). Holds 1–12 ft down.

Keep

5 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Upper Copper and Upper Susitna: 5 Arctic grayling a day, 5 in possession, no size limit. Upstream of Paxson Lake the limit is 2 a day. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Upper Copper River drainage

Season here: May–Sep. More on Arctic grayling

Chinook Salmon

Chinook salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

–Not scoredNo targeting

No targetingClosed to targeting. Release any you hook at once.

Water

32°
32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°

Why

Below chinook salmon's active range (42–58°F). Holds 15–150 ft down.

Keep

20" minimum · 1 a day

Closed to targeting. Release any you hook at once. Upper Copper and Upper Susitna: kings open January 1–July 19, 1 a day 20" or longer, annual limit of 4, recorded at harvest on a free king salmon permit. The permit is required on top of the king stamp and must be reported online by August 31 even if you kept none. Under 20", 10 a day. A king taken out of the water must be kept, and guides may not keep kings while guiding. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.

Verified Nov 6, 2026 · Upper Copper River drainage

Season here: Apr–Oct. More on chinook salmon

The water

  • Water temperature32°F
  • Barometer29.46 inHg, rising

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunset today4:17 pm
  • Sunrise tomorrow8:37 am
  • MoonWaning crescent, 5% lit
  • Major solunarToday 10:10 am–12:10 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 2:40 pm–3:40 pm
  • Major solunarTonight 10:50 pm–12:50 am

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Emergency orders in effect

Alaska changes limits and seasons in season. These ADF&G orders cover the Upper Copper Upper Susitna area and override the limits below where they differ.

From the ADF&G emergency order list, checked daily; the list last changed Nov 5. Read the order itself before you fish.

Fish in the river

Daily Alaska Department of Fish and Game counts at this water, against the last four seasons. Every Alaska count station

  • Gulkana River Chinook

    3,942 counted in 2026

    Counting ended Aug 12. A typical 2022–2025 run: 4,920.

    Most fish pass Jun 27 – Aug 2, half by Jul 15.

  • Gulkana River Sockeye

    16,350 counted in 2026

    Counting ended Aug 12. A typical 2022–2025 run: 14,916.

    Most fish pass Jun 18 – Aug 6, half by Jul 22.

Counts are fish past the station, not a catch forecast, and are preliminary. Checked daily; the numbers last changed Nov 5.

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game publishes a report for the state.

Licenses and rules: Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A Copper River tributary along the Richardson Highway, fished from the BLM Sourdough Creek Campground and the Mile 141 access trail for king and sockeye salmon, rainbow trout and Arctic grayling. ADF&G counts its king and sockeye runs, and the USGS gauge at Sourdough reads live flow and water temperature.

Kings open January 1–July 19: 1 a day 20" or longer, annual limit 4, and a free king salmon permit is required on top of the king stamp. Sockeye 3 a day. Rainbow trout are catch-and-release. On this stretch, bait and treble hooks are allowed June 1–July 19 only.

Nearby

The closest public spots we cover, with the same 36 hours of floats.

Valdez / Port Valdez103 mi · AlaskaBest tomorrow 12 am–9 am
68Marginal

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Gulkana River (Sourdough)?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Gulkana River (Sourdough) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Gulkana River (Sourdough)?

Gulkana River (Sourdough) is listed on this site for 4 commonly-targeted species: Chinook Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Gulkana River (Sourdough)?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Gulkana River (Sourdough) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Gulkana River (Sourdough) have?

Gulkana River (Sourdough) has shoreline / wading access. There is no pier or boat ramp at this location. Kings open January 1–July 19: 1 a day 20" or longer, annual limit 4, and a free king salmon permit is required on top of the king stamp. Sockeye 3 a day. Rainbow trout are catch-and-release. On this stretch, bait and treble hooks are allowed June 1–July 19 only.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Gulkana River (Sourdough)?

state agency regulations apply at Gulkana River (Sourdough). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Gulkana River (Sourdough) tidal water?

No. Gulkana River (Sourdough) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.