Chena River below Moose Creek Dam Fishing Guides
The reach below the Moose Creek flood control dam east of Fairbanks, gauged for discharge and stage, on the most important grayling river in interior Alaska.
Guides on the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam
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About the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam
The Chena River flows west out of the hills east of Fairbanks and joins the Tanana below the city, and it is the most heavily fished river in interior Alaska simply because it runs through where the people are. This gauge sits below the Moose Creek Dam, part of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project built after the catastrophic Fairbanks flood of 1967. The structure is a dry dam rather than a storage reservoir: in normal conditions the river passes through it more or less unimpeded, and it only holds water back when a flood peak threatens the city downstream.
That distinction matters for anyone reading the gauge. Because the dam is operated for flood control rather than power or water supply, the flow below is close to natural most of the time and follows the interior hydrograph: locked up and low through the long winter, a hard pulse at breakup in May, then rain driven peaks through summer. The gauge reports discharge and stage. Water temperature is not instrumented at this site, which is worth knowing, because grayling activity in the interior tracks temperature closely and anglers here generally infer it from air temperature and season instead.
The Chena is above all an Arctic grayling river, and a genuinely outstanding one, managed largely as catch and release with substantial fish through the upper reaches. Grayling move upriver as the water warms through the summer and drop back to overwintering areas in autumn, so where you fish depends entirely on the date. Chinook and chum salmon run the river, with coho present as well, and northern pike and burbot occupy the slower lower water. Chena Hot Springs Road follows the river for dozens of miles and provides some of the best road accessible fishing anywhere in Alaska.
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Access
Fairbanks - the city downstream, with full services, tackle, guides, lodging and the international airport.
Chena Hot Springs Road - the road following the river east, with numerous marked access points.
Chena River State Recreation Area - the state land upstream, with campgrounds, trails and wade access.
Chena Lakes Recreation Area - the park at the flood control project, with the lake, camping and launches.
North Pole - the town just south, with fuel, supplies and lodging.
Tanana River - the large glacial river the Chena joins, with pike, burbot and salmon.
Chena Hot Springs - the resort at the end of the road, at the top of the fishable river.
Seasons
Spring: breakup brings high dirty water in May, with the fishing unreliable until flows settle.
Summer: the season, with grayling spread through the upper river and salmon running from July.
Fall: excellent and quiet, with grayling dropping downstream and feeding hard before freeze up.
Winter: frozen and closed to practical fishing, apart from ice fishing on the project lakes.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam?
As of Oct 18, 6:00 pm, the USGS gauge CHENA R BL MOOSE C DAM AK reads 1,880 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam?
Anglers target Arctic Grayling, Burbot, Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, Coho Salmon, Humpback Whitefish, Northern Pike, Round Whitefish, White Sucker on the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam in Alaska.
Where can you access the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam?
Fairbanks - the city downstream, with full services, tackle, guides, lodging and the international airport. Chena Hot Springs Road - the road following the river east, with numerous marked access points. Chena River State Recreation Area - the state land upstream, with campgrounds, trails and wade access. Chena Lakes Recreation Area - the park at the flood control project, with the lake, camping and launches. North Pole - the town just south, with fuel, supplies and lodging. Tanana River - the large glacial river the Chena joins, with pike, burbot and salmon. Chena Hot Springs - the resort at...
When is the best time to fish the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam?
Spring: breakup brings high dirty water in May, with the fishing unreliable until flows settle. Summer: the season, with grayling spread through the upper river and salmon running from July. Fall: excellent and quiet, with grayling dropping downstream and feeding hard before freeze up. Winter: frozen and closed to practical fishing, apart from ice fishing on the project lakes.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Chena River below Moose Creek Dam?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Alaska agency site: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.main