Artificial Lure here in Bristol Bay, Alaska, bringing you today’s fishing report for Saturday, August 16, 2025.

At first light, Anglers enjoyed a crisp 46°F with partly cloudy skies across the bay, and a steady breeze out of the west making the air feel just right for a long day chasing fish. Sunrise hit at 6:24AM, offering more than sixteen hours of daylight, with sunset tonight at 10:54PM—plenty of time for folks to get lines wet and nets full up in these legendary waters.

Tides play a big part in today’s strategy. For Kvichak Bay, off the Naknek River entrance, we’re seeing high tide at 8:54AM and a low at 3:33AM. Over at Snag Point, Nushagak Bay, the first low tide went out around 5:27AM, with highs rolling in later in the morning. Sixteen to nineteen-foot swings mean prime pushes for salmon on the flood and easy bank access after the ebb.

Now for the action: Bristol Bay is living up to its global reputation. The king of August, sockeye salmon, are pouring in. SeafoodNews.com reported just this week that 10 million sockeye have been landed with this year’s run closely tracking two years ago’s near-record haul. Forecasts from Alaska Department of Fish & Game peg the season’s sockeye catch at nearly 35 million across the Bay’s famed river systems. Yesterday alone, the Nushagak District recorded 393,000 caught, while the Egegik is coming along strong as well. The bite is solid most rivers—Nushagak, Kvichak, Egegik, Ugashik, and Togiak.

Coho salmon are starting to show up, and the big push is expected in the next week, so have your gear ready for acrobatic silvers. Chums and the odd king are still mixed in but winding down as sockeye dominate the counts.

Top producing lures for sockeye remain classic: A bright, weighted “Flasher” rig tipped with pink or chartreuse “hoochie” skirts is outfishing all else for meat lines. For fly anglers, swinging small, sparse Clouser Minnows and Egg Sucking Leeches in orange or fuchsia brings aggressive strikes. Folks drifting with bait, cured salmon roe or chunked herring held tight near the bottom, saw steady hookups—especially during incoming tide.

The best fishing today has been concentrated at:
- **Nushagak River mouth:** Hit above Snag Point on the incoming tide, where thick schools of sockeye flood in with cooler, fresh water.
- **Kvichak River near Igiugig:** Early run sockeyes are pushing through in waves—try the gravel bars and seams during the mid-morning high tide.

Bank access at Dillingham is popular among locals for easy sockeye limits, while the Naknek River offers consistent landing, especially at the King Salmon bridge pullouts. Charter guides are reporting limits reached in under two hours, with most sockeye ranging 6-8 pounds, plump and chrome-bright.

For coho, consider twitching 1/2oz blue and silver spoons, or casting chartreuse spinners near river junctions—especially as afternoon shadows creep in.

Boat traffic is steady but not crowded, and guides say the morning bite is best with the changing tides. Be sure to pack bug spray and rain gear—weather in Southwest Alaska is always shifting.

For fresh info, swing by the docks in Dillingham, where local chatter offers the best insights on hot schools. The Egegik and Ugashik remain sleeper spots for anglers willing to bushwhack, but the Nushagak continues to be Bristol Bay’s workhorse.

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