Rainbow Trout: Alaska Fish Species Guide
Rainbow trout are one of the prettiest fish in Alaska. They sport a pink to red stripe along the lateral line and gill plate, black dots across most of their body and tail, a blue-greenish tint to their top side and a white belly. Rainbows that live in lakes are more silvery, while typical river rainbows are darker. Each rainbow is a unique work of art. An average rainbow trout is about 16 inches long; big trout can exceed 30 inches. Rainbows live from 4- to 11 years.
Some of the best places to fish for big trout are the Kenai, Kvichak and Naknek rivers. Bristol Bay holds many blue ribbon trout fisheries, and anglers visit current hot spots across the Katmai and Iliamna regions. Rainbow trout are widely distributed across a lot of Alaska.
When to Fish
Rainbow trout are targeted in rivers from early June through the end of October. As the season progresses, rainbows grow substantially heavier, particularly in systems that receive a large run of sockeye and / or pink salmon. It’s not out of the question for a trout to weigh 50% more in September than it does in June. Rainbows are opportunistic feeders and will eat a wide range of insects, rodents and all forms of salmon including smolt, eggs and flesh. Choose your fishing timing based on how you want to target them. Also consider that weather is typically better in June, July and August than in September and October.
In June, rainbows can be caught stripping smolt patterns. It’s damn exciting to watch a wolf pack of rainbows bust a school of salmon smolt. At this time, they are also willing to eat insects and anglers have a chance to target them on topwater patterns and nymphs. Throughout most of the year, especially in western Alaska’s braided rivers, rainbows will eat mice patterns. By far and away, the most effective methods of catching rainbows is by dead drifting egg patterns or flesh flies, or swinging wet flies. Salmon make up the bulk of their diet, and when there are salmon in the river, it’s hard for a rainbow to turn down an egg or chunk of flesh. Different salmon species produce different-sized eggs, so savvy rainbow fishermen use beads from 4- to 12 mm to replicate the natural eggs floating by. Beads from 6- to 10 mm are the most common and anglers will often apply nail polish to beads to make their color look more realistic.
Trout Gear
Rainbows are caught on fly and conventional gear. Fly rods are the better tool for the widest range of presentations, but spin- or baitcasting anglers have an advantage in certain presentations and can typically cover more water. A 9’ to 10’ fly rod in the 5# to 8# range, matched with a suitable reel and floating fly line is a good place to start. Leaders are generally long, and taper from 25-pound-test butt section to a 10-pound-test tippet; fluorocarbon is a good material for tippet as it virtually disappears underwater. Conventional anglers should opt for a 9- to 10-foot, fast action rod, rated for 8- to 12-pound-test, and a matching reel. Braid is a good choice for main line and 20- or 30-pound-test is common. Add a 10-foot top-shot of 10-pound-test fluorocarbon and you are in the game.
Rainbow Trout Hotspots
Rivers:
- Kenai
- Kvichak
- Naknek
- Kulik
- Bristol Bay Fly-out Streams
- Iliamna Area
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