Let’s talk about fishing in Skagway

Fresh fish. My dog. Beer. this is what fishing in Skagway is all about.

I like fishing. A lot. Around mid-March, I start thinking about fishing because it’s almost spring when the ice breaks up and fish start flying into my cooler like they’re going out of style. But fishing never goes out of style because it’s fun, challenging, and you get a free meal when you’re done. Plus, my dog really likes fishing too. Oh, and did I mention the beer? You put all of that together and it’s perfection. Okay, so let’s talk about fishing in Skagway.

Fishing in Skagway is great because it’s fishing

As mentioned above, fishing is awesome, so it stands to reason that fishing in Skagway is also awesome. Figure it out! I’m going to list all of the fish I catch in and around Skagway so you can decide what you would like to catch when you visit the area. I am NOT going to reveal my secret fishing spots so don’t even ask.

Fishing in Skagway for trout and char

There are three varieties of trout in Skagway – rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and brook trout. Cutthroat trout are native fish and you sometimes catch one in Pullen Creek or the Taiya River. It’s pretty rare though. Brook trout are caught in Upper Dewey Lake and Lower Dewey Lake. The lakes were stocked during the Klondike Gold Rush and now the trout just live there and get fat eating all day. Rainbow trout are found in Lost Lake. I don’t know who stocked that lake. I can’t even figure out how they lugged trout up that steep mountain. It really makes you wonder.

There is one variety of char caught in Skagway. It is called a Dolly Varden. You don’t have to tell me that it’s a stupid name because I already know. It’s also not a Dolly Parton. That’s a country and western singer. You can catch Dolly Varden in every Skagway river and in the ocean. Those Dolly Varden get around.

What is a char, you ask? It’s like a trout but different. A trout has dark spots on a lighter body while char have lighter spots on a darker body. Or something like that. They all taste good, so what difference does it make?

If you travel to the lakes north of Skagway, you can catch another variety of char called a lake trout. Whoever named the lake trout was obviously a doofus. I call them lakers. When I say “lakers” I say it with a Minnesota accent. This really gets under the skin of my fishing buddy because he is from Minnesota. Despite his geographical impairment, he’s a pretty decent guy. Plus, he brings the beer.

Fishing in Skagway for salmon

There are four species of salmon caught in Skagway. Chinook, coho, chum, and pink. They are also called king, silver, dog, and humpy for some reason. Why do people give fish so many different names? It really does make you wonder.

Fishing in Skagway for other stuff

You can catch other fishing in Skagway like halibut, sculpin, and flounder. I’ve caught a few cod over the years. I’ve caught some ugly-looking fish that I don’t know the name of. I can tell you that they tasted good, though. If it ends up on my hook, I will eat it. I don’t care how ugly it is. It’s not like there are pretty fish. They all stink and are covered in slime. I don’t understand why some people will see one particular fish and say, “Wow! That fish is ugly!” as though they think other fish are attractive. It really does make you wonder.