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Salmon Season Ramps Up in Bristol Bay with Strong Forecasts and Early Arrivals
This is Artificial Lure reporting from Bristol Bay, Alaska, on Friday, May 2, 2025.
Sunrise was at 6:21 AM and sunset will be about 10:51 PM, giving us a solid long window for anglers to get out on the water. The weather today is cool and crisp, with variable clouds and a light breeze out of the south. Temps are hanging in the mid-40s to low 50s through the day, and the water is a touch colder than average after a cool spring. Tides are moderate today, with high tide just after 7 AM and low tide coming through right around 1 PM, so plan your trips accordingly.
Fish activity in the Bay is starting to pick up as we move closer to the height of the salmon season. Reports from the Naknek and Egegik Rivers say there’s early sockeye movement, though the main pulse is still a few weeks out. Expectations are sky-high for the season with a forecast return of 51.3 million sockeye salmon and a harvestable surplus of about 36.4 million fish for the region. That’s a bit below the recent 10-year average but well above the long-term average, so there’s plenty of fish on the way[1][4]. Most of these fish are expected to be a bit bigger than last year, as 61 percent will be three-ocean-year sockeye, promising some good-sized catches this season[5].
For now, early anglers are getting into a mixed bag. Some fresh kings have shown up near the Nushagak and on the east side, especially on the morning tides. Chum and a few early sockeyes are also being pulled in by those working the river mouths with persistence. Down the Kvichak River, catch rates are slow but steady—locals are reporting a fish here and there with early mornings producing best.
Your best bet for lures right now are flashy spinners and spoons in copper or pink for salmon. Vibrax spinners and Mepps in sizes 4 and 5 have been doing damage. If you’re fishing bait, cured roe is still king for salmon, but herring strips behind a dodger is also a classic producer. For those targeting trout or char, small bead patterns and egg imitations are working well, especially downstream of any salmon that are starting to show up.
Hot spots to hit this week are the lower Nushagak, where kings are trickling in, and the mouth of the Naknek, especially at high tide for the first push of sockeye. For a quieter spot, check out the Egegik River mouth early or late in the day—locals say the trout fishing there has been way above average.
That’s the report from Bristol Bay. With the big run on the way and the first fish already arriving, it’s a perfect time to get your line wet. Good luck and tight lines!
Sunrise was at 6:21 AM and sunset will be about 10:51 PM, giving us a solid long window for anglers to get out on the water. The weather today is cool and crisp, with variable clouds and a light breeze out of the south. Temps are hanging in the mid-40s to low 50s through the day, and the water is a touch colder than average after a cool spring. Tides are moderate today, with high tide just after 7 AM and low tide coming through right around 1 PM, so plan your trips accordingly.
Fish activity in the Bay is starting to pick up as we move closer to the height of the salmon season. Reports from the Naknek and Egegik Rivers say there’s early sockeye movement, though the main pulse is still a few weeks out. Expectations are sky-high for the season with a forecast return of 51.3 million sockeye salmon and a harvestable surplus of about 36.4 million fish for the region. That’s a bit below the recent 10-year average but well above the long-term average, so there’s plenty of fish on the way[1][4]. Most of these fish are expected to be a bit bigger than last year, as 61 percent will be three-ocean-year sockeye, promising some good-sized catches this season[5].
For now, early anglers are getting into a mixed bag. Some fresh kings have shown up near the Nushagak and on the east side, especially on the morning tides. Chum and a few early sockeyes are also being pulled in by those working the river mouths with persistence. Down the Kvichak River, catch rates are slow but steady—locals are reporting a fish here and there with early mornings producing best.
Your best bet for lures right now are flashy spinners and spoons in copper or pink for salmon. Vibrax spinners and Mepps in sizes 4 and 5 have been doing damage. If you’re fishing bait, cured roe is still king for salmon, but herring strips behind a dodger is also a classic producer. For those targeting trout or char, small bead patterns and egg imitations are working well, especially downstream of any salmon that are starting to show up.
Hot spots to hit this week are the lower Nushagak, where kings are trickling in, and the mouth of the Naknek, especially at high tide for the first push of sockeye. For a quieter spot, check out the Egegik River mouth early or late in the day—locals say the trout fishing there has been way above average.
That’s the report from Bristol Bay. With the big run on the way and the first fish already arriving, it’s a perfect time to get your line wet. Good luck and tight lines!
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By Quiet. PleaseThis is Artificial Lure reporting from Bristol Bay, Alaska, on Friday, May 2, 2025.
Sunrise was at 6:21 AM and sunset will be about 10:51 PM, giving us a solid long window for anglers to get out on the water. The weather today is cool and crisp, with variable clouds and a light breeze out of the south. Temps are hanging in the mid-40s to low 50s through the day, and the water is a touch colder than average after a cool spring. Tides are moderate today, with high tide just after 7 AM and low tide coming through right around 1 PM, so plan your trips accordingly.
Fish activity in the Bay is starting to pick up as we move closer to the height of the salmon season. Reports from the Naknek and Egegik Rivers say there’s early sockeye movement, though the main pulse is still a few weeks out. Expectations are sky-high for the season with a forecast return of 51.3 million sockeye salmon and a harvestable surplus of about 36.4 million fish for the region. That’s a bit below the recent 10-year average but well above the long-term average, so there’s plenty of fish on the way[1][4]. Most of these fish are expected to be a bit bigger than last year, as 61 percent will be three-ocean-year sockeye, promising some good-sized catches this season[5].
For now, early anglers are getting into a mixed bag. Some fresh kings have shown up near the Nushagak and on the east side, especially on the morning tides. Chum and a few early sockeyes are also being pulled in by those working the river mouths with persistence. Down the Kvichak River, catch rates are slow but steady—locals are reporting a fish here and there with early mornings producing best.
Your best bet for lures right now are flashy spinners and spoons in copper or pink for salmon. Vibrax spinners and Mepps in sizes 4 and 5 have been doing damage. If you’re fishing bait, cured roe is still king for salmon, but herring strips behind a dodger is also a classic producer. For those targeting trout or char, small bead patterns and egg imitations are working well, especially downstream of any salmon that are starting to show up.
Hot spots to hit this week are the lower Nushagak, where kings are trickling in, and the mouth of the Naknek, especially at high tide for the first push of sockeye. For a quieter spot, check out the Egegik River mouth early or late in the day—locals say the trout fishing there has been way above average.
That’s the report from Bristol Bay. With the big run on the way and the first fish already arriving, it’s a perfect time to get your line wet. Good luck and tight lines!
Sunrise was at 6:21 AM and sunset will be about 10:51 PM, giving us a solid long window for anglers to get out on the water. The weather today is cool and crisp, with variable clouds and a light breeze out of the south. Temps are hanging in the mid-40s to low 50s through the day, and the water is a touch colder than average after a cool spring. Tides are moderate today, with high tide just after 7 AM and low tide coming through right around 1 PM, so plan your trips accordingly.
Fish activity in the Bay is starting to pick up as we move closer to the height of the salmon season. Reports from the Naknek and Egegik Rivers say there’s early sockeye movement, though the main pulse is still a few weeks out. Expectations are sky-high for the season with a forecast return of 51.3 million sockeye salmon and a harvestable surplus of about 36.4 million fish for the region. That’s a bit below the recent 10-year average but well above the long-term average, so there’s plenty of fish on the way[1][4]. Most of these fish are expected to be a bit bigger than last year, as 61 percent will be three-ocean-year sockeye, promising some good-sized catches this season[5].
For now, early anglers are getting into a mixed bag. Some fresh kings have shown up near the Nushagak and on the east side, especially on the morning tides. Chum and a few early sockeyes are also being pulled in by those working the river mouths with persistence. Down the Kvichak River, catch rates are slow but steady—locals are reporting a fish here and there with early mornings producing best.
Your best bet for lures right now are flashy spinners and spoons in copper or pink for salmon. Vibrax spinners and Mepps in sizes 4 and 5 have been doing damage. If you’re fishing bait, cured roe is still king for salmon, but herring strips behind a dodger is also a classic producer. For those targeting trout or char, small bead patterns and egg imitations are working well, especially downstream of any salmon that are starting to show up.
Hot spots to hit this week are the lower Nushagak, where kings are trickling in, and the mouth of the Naknek, especially at high tide for the first push of sockeye. For a quieter spot, check out the Egegik River mouth early or late in the day—locals say the trout fishing there has been way above average.
That’s the report from Bristol Bay. With the big run on the way and the first fish already arriving, it’s a perfect time to get your line wet. Good luck and tight lines!