Tonsina River Fishing

Fish for Trophy-Sized Chinook Salmon

Tonsina River King Salmon
The Tonsina River is a tributary to the Copper River located in Alaska’s south-central region. The Tonsina River originates high in the Chugach Mountains at the toe of the Tonsina Glacier. The Tonsina River flows from the glacier into the Tonsina Lake and from the lake’s outlet mostly easterly to the Copper River near the town of Chitna. The river water can be a blue-green color as some of the glacial silt settles in the lake before it reaches the outlet. The Tonsina River has some Class 4 rapids that are located at the most remote portion of the float trip.

The Tonsina River is one of Alaska’s impressive king salmon fisheries. It is not unheard of to hook a 70 pound king salmon in the river. It’s far away from any major town or city, difficult to access without a boat, and it’s home to a large run of trophy-sized Copper River king salmon. The Tonsina River is a glacially-fed river with tight corners, technical rapids and lots of log jams and should only be run by expert river boaters. The Tonsina River is surrounded by steep banks and vast expanses of Alaskan wilderness where it is possible to view eagles, brown bears and moose. Rafting this stretch of the Tonsina River is a true Alaska wilderness adventure.

Tonsina River Fishing Trips

• Full Day Tonsina River King Salmon Fishing
• Overnight Tonsina River King Salmon Charter
• Fully guided & completely outfitted fishing expeditions on the wild Tonsina River. Fishing license not included.

Join us for an epic king salmon fishing trip on the whitewater Tonsina River. Our Tonsina River King Salmon Charters start at Salmon Grove Campground where we will outfit you and head out for Milepost 80 of the Richardson Highway where the highway road bridge crosses the Tonsina River, our launch point. Ride the whitewater rapids downriver, stopping at a variety of different fishing holes, to target king salmon. Float 23 river miles from the put-in to take-out and fish the best holes on the way down. Our take-out point is the road bridge on the Edgerton Highway just before the town of Chitna.

Visiting the park via McCarthy? Consider Salmon Grove as your base camp. There are several shuttle services available that go into the park daily. The dirt road is unsuitable for RV’S and many people find Salmon Grove the perfect place to base camp when visiting Kennicott McCarthy. We offer special rates for the days you are not at camp but your RV is.