Copper River king salmon can reach over 70 pounds! King salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), also known as Chinook, are the largest of the Pacific salmon. King salmon fishing on Class III+ whitewater rivers is some of the most exciting and adventurous fishing around. Kings are known to “bite” and will be aggressive toward artificial lures, yarn, streamer flies and our favorite freshly cured king salmon roe. The Copper River king salmon we catch in the Upper Copper River Basin average around 30 pounds.
A Thriving King Salmon Fishery
The Copper River supports a healthy population of king salmon, the sport-fishery is managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The ADF&G has made a serious effort to monitor the escapement numbers of king salmon entering and migrating up the Copper River system to spawn. Learn more about the Copper River king salmon and the states effort to manage the fishery at the ADF&G website.
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.
