Pacific coast steelhead

Winter Steelhead in Alaska

Q: When do steelhead run in Alaska?

Alaska Department of Fish and Game describes spring run from Mar 1 to Jun 10; fall run from Aug 1 to Oct 31; spawning from Apr 15 to Jun 10. Most Alaska steelhead come back in spring, March to early June, and spawn within weeks.

Q: Which Alaska rivers have winter steelhead?

The rivers ADF&G names with steelhead in the river between December and April include the Situk River, Kasilof River, Karluk River and Ayakulik River. Each one is listed below with its agency timing and the source sentence.

Q: Where is the Alaska steelhead fishing report?

ADF&G publishes the ADF&G Fish Count Data Search (steelhead series: Situk, Anchor, Karluk, Ayakulik, Buskin, Dog Salmon, Afognak, Bear, Chignik, Nelson, Olga, Pasagshak, Saltery) (daily), the Situk River steelhead weir (Fish Counts, location 5) (daily), the Anchor River weir (Fish Counts, location 9) (daily) and the Kenai, Soldotna, & Homer Run Timing. All are linked below.

Q: Which Alaska steelhead rivers are wild runs?

The Situk River, Anchor River, Kasilof River, Karluk River and 3 more are recorded as wild runs with no hatchery stocking.

Q: How high is the Situk River running today?

The rivers table reads the latest discharge and water temperature straight from USGS for the Situk River, the one Alaska steelhead river here with a USGS discharge gauge, and sets each flow beside the gauge's median for today's date from its full record.

Q: Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in Alaska?

No. A run window is when the fish move, and it is biology. Seasons, licences and river closures are set by Alaska Department of Fish and Game and change inside a year; its current regulations are linked beside the rivers table.

Q: What is the difference between winter and summer steelhead in Alaska?

Winter fish come in from the ocean close to spawning, November through April by NOAA Fisheries' account; summer fish enter months earlier and hold in the river before spawning. ADF&G describes spring run Mar 1 to Jun 10, fall run Aug 1 to Oct 31 and spawning Apr 15 to Jun 10.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game names 7 steelhead rivers, from the Situk River to the Dog Salmon River, and describes spring run Mar 1 to Jun 10, fall run Aug 1 to Oct 31, spawning Apr 15 to Jun 10. 2 of them carry a live USGS gauge, and the one with a discharge record is shown against the median for today's date.

Agency named rivers

Live USGS gauges

Fish in the rivers

Mar to Jun and Aug to Oct

Rivers and flows

Alaska steelhead rivers, run timing and flow today

Each river below is one Alaska Department of Fish and Game names for steelhead, with the timing it gives and the sentence it came from. Beside it, the latest discharge from the river’s USGS gauge and the median discharge for today’s date across that gauge’s years of record, so a reading of 150% means the river is carrying half again its usual flow for the day. 2 of the gauges also report water temperature.

Alaska steelhead rivers named by Alaska Department of Fish and Game, with the latest USGS discharge and water temperature and the median discharge for today’s date over each gauge’s record.
River	Run timing	Hatchery	Flow now	Median for today	Water temp
Situk RiverYakutat (Southeast) Alaska's best known steelhead river and home of the oldest aged Alaska steelhead; ADF&G's weir counts spent adults moving back to sea each spring. ADF&G source USGS gauge 15129500	spent fish head back downstream in May and June	Wild run	Loading	Loading	Loading
Anchor RiverLower Cook Inlet (Kenai Peninsula) A small fall run on the lower Kenai Peninsula; runs vary and are usually small, and fish come in from mid August into November. ADF&G source USGS gauge 15239900	fall run, mid August through early November	Wild run	Water temperature only at this gauge		Loading
Kasilof RiverCook Inlet (Kenai Peninsula) ADF&G's Kenai Peninsula run timing chart lists both a spring and a fall steelhead window here. ADF&G source	late March through mid May, and late August through mid November	Wild run	Run timing from ADF&G, with the note and source beside it.
Karluk RiverKodiak Island West Kodiak river with a weir near the mouth; ADF&G's fish counts include a steelhead series alongside the big sockeye run. ADF&G source	Spring run, Mar to Jun; Fall run, Aug to Oct	Wild run	Run timing from ADF&G, with the note and source beside it.
Ayakulik RiverKodiak Island Southwest Kodiak river whose weir counts include steelhead. ADF&G source	Spring run, Mar to Jun; Fall run, Aug to Oct	Wild run	Run timing from ADF&G, with the note and source beside it.
Buskin RiverKodiak Island Road system river near the city of Kodiak; the lower weir that counts coho through September also logs steelhead. ADF&G source	Fall run, Aug to Oct	Wild run	Run timing from ADF&G, with the note and source beside it.
Dog Salmon RiverKodiak Island South Kodiak river draining toward Olga Bay; its weir counts include steelhead. ADF&G source	Fall run, Aug to Oct	Wild run	Run timing from ADF&G, with the note and source beside it.

Run calendar

When steelhead are in Alaska rivers

The months ADF&G gives for each river, laid on a July to June year so a winter run reads as one bar. Rain and water temperature move the weeks inside those months from one year to the next.

Situk RiverYakutat (Southeast)spent fish head back downstream in May and June
Anchor RiverLower Cook Inlet (Kenai Peninsula)fall run, mid August through early November
Kasilof RiverCook Inlet (Kenai Peninsula)late March through mid May, and late August through mid November
Karluk RiverKodiak IslandSpring run, Mar to Jun; Fall run, Aug to Oct
Ayakulik RiverKodiak IslandSpring run, Mar to Jun; Fall run, Aug to Oct
Buskin RiverKodiak IslandFall run, Aug to Oct
Dog Salmon RiverKodiak IslandFall run, Aug to Oct

Spring run
Fall run
Spawning
Nov, the current month

Alaska steelhead months by river, from Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Fish in the river across Mar to Jun and Aug to Oct.

The runs, in ADF&G’s words

Spring run, Mar 1 to Jun 10. Most Alaska steelhead come back in spring, March to early June, and spawn within weeks. Spring-run steelhead return to streams in Alaska between March and early June while the rare summer-run fish will return to freshwater during July. Source
Fall run, Aug 1 to Oct 31. Fall fish enter August through October, possibly later, and hold through winter to spawn the next spring. Fall-run steelhead enter the freshwater systems as adults in August through October and possibly throughout the winter. Source
Spawning, Apr 15 to Jun 10. Whatever month they return, all Alaska steelhead spawn in spring once streams warm to about 6 to 9 C. Regardless of when they return to freshwater, all steelhead spawn during the spring months when daily water temperatures reach 6 – 9° C, usually about mid-April through May to early June. Source

Winter-run Steelhead return from the ocean at age 4 or 5 years, and travel to their spawning grounds from November to April.
NOAA Fisheries, West Coast Region

A dark clear river pool curving past a gravel bar, snow on the banks and a steep forested slope of fir and moss covered alder behind — The Nestucca River in the Oregon Coast Range in late winter. Coastal rivers like this one carry the winter run from late fall into spring, and they rise and drop fast with each storm. “Nestucca Wild and Scenic River (40678437973)”, BLM Oregon & Washington, Public domain

Reports

Alaska steelhead reports and counts

Where ADF&G publishes the current picture: fishing reports, weir and hatchery counts, and creel surveys, each with how often it is updated.

ADF&G Fish Count Data Search (steelhead series: Situk, Anchor, Karluk, Ayakulik, Buskin, Dog Salmon, Afognak, Bear, Chignik, Nelson, Olga, Pasagshak, Saltery)ADF&G, weir count, dailyThis website has compiled counts from a number of different sources to provide inseason and historical data.
Situk River steelhead weir (Fish Counts, location 5)ADF&G, weir count, dailyThe Situk River weir crew counts post-spawning downstream migrations of adult Steelhead beginning in spring (May-June) each year, and upstream pre-spawn salmon migrations beginning in summer (June-August).
Anchor River weir (Fish Counts, location 9)ADF&G, weir count, dailyThe most complete fall counts occurred in 1988 and 1992 when 878 and 1,261 fish were counted, respectively.
Kenai, Soldotna, & Homer Run TimingADF&G, fishing report

Close view of a steelhead head and gill plate in shallow water inside a black mesh net, a thumb resting lightly on its back — A Methow River steelhead in spawning colour, held in the water in a hatchery crew’s net. The red gill plate and band come on as the fish nears spawning. “Steelhead breeding colors Methow River”, Michael Humling/USFWS, Public domain

Elsewhere

Steelhead run timing in other states

Questions about Alaska steelhead

When do steelhead run in Alaska?

Which Alaska rivers have winter steelhead?

Where is the Alaska steelhead fishing report?

Which Alaska steelhead rivers are wild runs?

How high is the Situk River running today?

Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in Alaska?

What is the difference between winter and summer steelhead in Alaska?

River timing from Alaska Department of Fish and Game pages, each linked beside its river. Flow, water temperature and the daily median from the USGS Water Services. Compiled September 21, 2026.

Alaska salmon run timingThe chinook and coho runs on the same rivers, in the months before the steelhead.Alaska trout stockingThe same species as a freshwater fish, stocked on a schedule.Alaska river levelsEvery USGS gauge in the state against its own record for the date.