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Two brown bear cubs stand on mossy rocks in a green glacial river, one sitting and one upright.

Fishing spot

Chilkoot Lake and River Fishing

Road-accessible sockeye, pink, chum and coho fishing below Chilkoot Lake, plus Dolly Varden; the river above the lake is closed to salmon.

Reference 185

Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site · Alaska State Parks

Water kind
River
Species
Sockeye salmon · Pink salmon · Chum salmon · Coho salmon · Dolly Varden
Methods
Spin · Fly · Bait
Shore access
Yes
Access modes
Road
Regulations summary
Below the lake: sockeye, pink and chum 6/day each; coho 2/day; Dolly Varden 4/day. Upper river closed to salmon.
Regulations url
adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/fishregulations/PDFs/southeast/2026se_sfregs_haines_skagway.pdf
Reg year
2026
Road

The Chilkoot River below Chilkoot Lake and the lake itself are among the best salmon fisheries in Southeast Alaska, with four runs from mid-June to mid-October. 2026 rules for Chilkoot Lake and the river below the lake: bait allowed year-round; chum, pink and sockeye 6 of each species a day and 6 in possession, 16 inches or longer; coho 2 a day, 2 in possession; Dolly Varden 4 a day, no size limit. The upper Chilkoot River above the lake is closed to all salmon fishing. Bears fish here too: stop fishing when a bear is near and never leave fish waste on the bank.

  1. [1]Sockeye possession: 6 in possession (ADF&G 2026 Haines and Skagway sport fishing regulations); also reported as 12 in possession (ADF&G Haines/Skagway featured fisheries guide (older edition)). All footnotes

In pictures

Two brown bear cubs stand on mossy rocks in a green glacial river, one sitting and one upright.
Reference 185

Fishing · Fly fishing

Sources

Last updated 2026-11-13