Alaska fishing trip planned for June each year at Yakutat Lodge begets a saltwater fisherman’s paradise. The days are long, weather is about as good as it gets, it’s one of the driest months of the year in this southeast Alaska rainforest, and saltwater fishing is heating up. The steelhead have come and gone in the Situk River, king salmon are milling around Yakutat Bay, halibut can be found in numbers and bottom fishing for rockfish and lingcod is heating up. Your Alaska fishing trip at this time of the year puts you on a trajectory to experience hard-fighting saltwater fish, in protected and calm water, within 10 miles of the boat launch from Yakutat Lodge on the Bay. As the month continues, sockeye salmon begin to arrive in the Situk River, and anglers who want to float the Situk, or walk-in for DIY angling, will have their shot to fight chrome missiles who’s strength outpaces their size. All this can be had when you plan your Alaska fishing trip to Yakutat Lodge in June.
A normal day on the saltwater gives you the chance to catch multiple species of fish. If you are looking for bottomfish, then our experienced captions will take you to known hot-spots, anchor the boat and set you up to either jig lures or soak bait for bottom-dwelling halibut. These fish average from 30- to 40 pounds, with some eclipsing the 100-pound mark, are very strong, aggressive and will put any angler to the test. If you prefer to work a metal jig, then bouncing that jig off the bottom will serve to attract halibut and cause them to attack. At Yakutat Lodge, we are equipped to allow you to either jig or soak bait, and both will yield fish. Halibut are among the best-tasting fish in the Pacific Ocean, and in most cases, one of the rewards of your Alaska fishing trip is a box of tasty fillets to bring home to enjoy throughout the year.
Rockfish are another type of fish targeted by anglers at Yakutat Lodge. There are over 30 species of rockfish that swim in Alaska’s waters, and several species are caught in Yakutat Bay. They can be broken into two families – pelagic (mid-water) and non-pelagic (bottom-dwelling). At Yakutat Lodge we target pelagic rockfish, and have a healthy population of black rockfish that are above-average in size. These delicious-tasting fish are found in large schools and provide great action on light tackle. Exotic and colorful non-pelagic species like quillback and China are also fairly common.
Lingcod are a fearsomely ugly, incredibly toothy predator that can be found near rock pinnacles in Yakutat Bay. These fish can reach impressive sizes, and have been known to latch onto a rockfish being brought to the surface. They will attack a jig and fight hard; the reward is an amazing picture of a strange-looking apex predator and a nice pile of delicious white-meat fillets.
King salmon can be found swimming in the protected waters surrounding Yakutat and are most commonly caught by trolling herring, anchovies, or spoons, behind flashers, while using downriggers. They are an amazing species, the state fish of Alaska, and often on the bucket list of Alaskan anglers. If king salmon are in the area, your knowledgeable captains can target traditionally productive areas and give you a chance to fish for the largest Pacific salmon species while on your Alaska fishing trip.
As the month comes close to an end, sockeye salmon begin to arrive in fishable numbers on the Situk River. Action heats up into July, but if the sockeye have pushed into the Situk in June, then the river guides of Yakutat Lodge can add sockeye angling to your Alaska fishing trip agenda. Sockeye are prized for their incredible fighting ability—often referred to as the pound-for-pound strongest salmon—as well as their deep-red, firm and succulent fillets.
Planning Alaska fishing trip to Yakutat Lodge in June is a great choice. From multiple species in the saltwater, to long days, good weather and the chance to intercept the first sockeye salmon of the year, we’ve got you covered at Yakutat Lodge. Our captains and guides will get you on the fish, and our fish processing team will fillet your catch, vacuum pack it and box it for your flight home. Come to Yakutat Lodge in June for your Alaska fishing trip and leave for home with great memories, photos and great-tasting fish to enjoy until you come back again.
Yakutat Lodge also knows how to help you catch other types of bottomfish when out on the saltwater. Yakutat Bay holds lingcod, which are aggressive, predatory fish that are awesomely ugly and marvelously delicious. It also holds several species of pelagic rockfish, and catches of large, black rockfish are common. These additional species provide added action and excellent table fare.
