Alaska Arctic Grayling

The Alaska arctic grayling is a somewhat rare freshwater game fish symbolic of the clear, cold streams of the northern wilderness. Grayling once lived as far south as Michigan and Montana but the Arctic grayling has almost disappeared from the northern United States because of overfishing and habitat loss.

The Alaska arctic grayling is a very distinct cousin of the trout. It has a sail-like dorsal fin dotted with large iridescent red or purple spots. They are generally dark on the back and have iridescent gray sides. They have varying numbers of black spots scattered along the anterior portion of both sides.

Winter generally finds grayling in lakes or the lower reaches and deeper pools of medium-sized rivers such as the Chena and Gulkana, or in large glacial rivers like the Tanana, Susitna, and Yukon. With the coming of spring, grayling begin an upstream migration to spawning grounds.

Like salmon, grayling faithfully return every year to the same spawning and feeding areas. Grayling spawn for the first time at an age of 4 or 5 years and a length of about 11 to 12 inches.

About one month after spring breakup, adult grayling begin their post-spawning migration to summer feeding areas. By the middle of summer, grayling will group together within a stream according to age and maturity. The older adults will be found in the upper reaches of river and stream systems, the young adults in the middle, and the juveniles in the lower ends. In the early fall, grayling again begin a leisurely downstream migration to reach wintering areas.

The Alaska arctic grayling diet is very similar to that of their trout cousins. Their primary food source is insects such as mayflies, stone flies, caddis flies and terrestrials. Grayling will also occasionally feed on the eggs of spawning salmon and migrating salmon smolts.

Anglers love fishing for the Alaska arctic grayling because they eat almost anything at one time or another. Fly fishermen especially love fishing for graying because of their willingness to rise to a dry fly. Fly fishing techniques for grayling are similar to those used for any trout species. Favorite patterns are the "Adams" and the "hare's ear nymph" however, when targeting a specific insect, grayling can be very picky and the angler will be forced to "match the hatch".

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the largest grayling fisheries occur along the road system in Interior Alaska. However, larger-size fish are generally caught in less heavily fished areas. Over 70 percent of the trophy grayling (greater than 3 pounds) registered by the ADFG come from the famous Ugashik Lake and river system of Bristol Bay. The state record grayling, 23 inches long and weighing 4 pounds 13 ounces, was caught in the Ugashik Narrows.