Wildlife

From the salmon we reel in to bald eagles and harbor seals, there are plenty of opportunities to view wildlife on a shoreside fishing charter in Juneau! Learn more about the species you may encounter on your shoreside salmon fishing adventure below.

Alaska King Salmon

Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

They are the largest and least abundant of the species. Their average weight is approximately 20 pounds. Prized for its red flesh, rich flavor, high oil content, and firm texture. King salmon are most often served in upscale restaurants.

Alaska Sockeye Salmon

Oncorhynchus nerka

Prized for its deep red flesh, color retention, distinctive flavor and firm texture. Their average weight is approximately six pounds. They are most often served in upscale restaurants.

Alaska Coho Salmon

Oncorhynchus kisutch

Also known as Alaska Silver Salmon, they are the second largest of Alaska's five species of salmon. Their average weight is 12 pounds. Known for an orange-red flesh, superior texture, and excellent eye appeal. One of the most commonly used species in the foodservice arena.

Alaska Keta Salmon

Oncorhynchus keta

Also known as Alaska Chum Salmon or Alaska Dog Salmon. Known for its firm pink flesh, moderate fat content, and delicate flavor. This species is in high-demand by the foodservice industry and is used in almost every segment. Their average weight is eight pounds.

Alaska Pink Salmon

Oncorhynchus gorbuscha

Also known as humpies. They are the smallest and most abundant of the salmon species. Their average weight is two to three pounds. Known for their light, rose-colored flesh and delicate flavor.

Bald Eagles

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Once endangered in the Lower 48, these great birds have a thriving population in Southeast Alaska. Many gather around the dock you will be fishing from as the fish run up the Gastineau Channel. Eagles commonly feed on spawned and dying salmon and will catch them to carry back to their young in the next. They have little textured pads on their talons specifically adapted to carry slippery salmon!

Harbor Seals

Phoca vitulina

The harbor (or harbour) seal, also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared seals, and true seals), they are found in coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Baltic and North Seas. Seals are common near the docks you will fish from, as they feed on spawning salmon.