Fishing· 6 min read
Russell Creek runs cold and clear off the flanks of Frosty Peak into the head of Cold Bay, and every August a heavy run of silver (coho) salmon pushes in. It's road-accessible, wadeable, and typically uncrowded — a rare combination in Alaska salmon fishing.
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Runs and timing
Pink salmon start in July and stack thick by early August. Silvers arrive in the first half of August and peak from mid-August through mid-September. Dolly Varden are present all summer and turn aggressive behind the salmon runs, keying on drifting eggs.
- ◆Pink salmon: mid-July – mid-August
- ◆Silver (coho): mid-August – mid-September
- ◆Dolly Varden: June – October
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Tactics
A 7- or 8-weight fly rod with a floating line handles silvers on pink and chartreuse streamers. Spin anglers do well with #3 and #4 spinners and small spoons. For Dolly Varden, swing a bead behind salmon or fish a small egg-sucking leech through slower runs.
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Access and licenses
The Russell Creek bridge is a short drive from town on the main refuge road. Park at the pullouts and walk in. All non-residents 18+ need an Alaska sport fishing license; if you want to keep a king (rare in this system) you need a king stamp. Buy online at ADF&G before you fly.
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Bear etiquette
You will share this stream with brown bears. Fish in pairs, talk in a normal voice, keep salmon on a stringer downstream of you or release everything, and yield the water immediately if a bear approaches. Bear spray on the hip, safety off, always.
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