Klehini River Fishing Guides
The main glacial tributary of the Chilkat, meeting it at Klukwan just above the bald eagle preserve, with a late chum run that feeds the largest gathering of eagles in North America.
Guides on the Klehini River
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About the Klehini River
The Klehini runs out of the Chilkat Pass country on the British Columbia border and drops south-east to meet the Chilkat River at the village of Klukwan, about twenty miles up the valley from Haines. It is a classic southeast Alaska glacial tributary, braided and grey through the summer, running over wide gravel bars that shift from year to year. The Haines Highway follows it for most of its length, which makes it one of the more reachable rivers of its size anywhere in the region, and the valley it runs through is wide enough that the water is rarely far from the road.
What makes the Klehini genuinely notable is what happens at its mouth. Upwelling groundwater keeps a reach of the Chilkat ice-free well into the winter, and the late chum salmon run that pushes through the Klehini confluence sustains the largest concentration of bald eagles in North America in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. For anglers that means a fishery that runs later in the season than most, and it also means a river where the wildlife is a genuine part of the experience rather than a bonus. Chum and coho are the mainstays, with pink, sockeye and a lighter king presence alongside them.
The gauge near Klukwan reports water temperature with discharge and stage, and both numbers move quickly here. The Klehini is melt-driven, so it swells on warm afternoons and after rain and then falls off sharply, and clarity is the practical limit on the fishing rather than flow. September and October are the best weeks, once the glacial load drops and the coho are in. Access is from the highway pull-offs and gravel bars rather than from developed ramps.
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Access
Klukwan - the village at the Chilkat confluence and the gauge reach, the natural reference point for the lower river.
Haines Highway pull-offs - the string of informal gravel accesses that follow the river for most of its length.
Klehini River Bridge - the highway crossing, the easiest place to judge clarity before deciding where to fish.
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - the state-managed reach downstream on the Chilkat, where the late chum run and the eagle concentration sit.
Mosquito Lake - the side water in the lower valley, reached by a short road off the highway, with its own quieter fishing.
Porcupine Crossing - the upper access toward the old mining ground, where the river runs smaller and clears sooner.
Haines - the nearest town, about twenty miles down the valley, for licences, guides and supplies.
Seasons
Spring: high and heavily glacial with the melt underway, best treated as a Dolly Varden river until the first salmon arrive.
Summer: pink and chum salmon push through in numbers, though the river carries its heaviest glacial load and the side channels fish better than the main stem.
Fall: the river of the year, with coho in, the water clearing and the late chum run building toward the eagle gathering at the confluence.
Winter: frozen through most of the river, though the spring-fed reach at the Chilkat confluence stays open and draws eagles rather than anglers.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Klehini River?
As of Nov 2, 6:00 am, the USGS gauge KLEHINI R NR KLUKWAN AK reads 1,270 cfs, with water temperature 36.1 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Klehini River?
Anglers target Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Coho Salmon, Dolly Varden, Pink Salmon, Sockeye Salmon on the Klehini River in Alaska.
Where can you access the Klehini River?
Klukwan - the village at the Chilkat confluence and the gauge reach, the natural reference point for the lower river. Haines Highway pull-offs - the string of informal gravel accesses that follow the river for most of its length. Klehini River Bridge - the highway crossing, the easiest place to judge clarity before deciding where to fish. Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - the state-managed reach downstream on the Chilkat, where the late chum run and the eagle concentration sit. Mosquito Lake - the side water in the lower valley, reached by a short road off the highway, with its own quieter...
When is the best time to fish the Klehini River?
Spring: high and heavily glacial with the melt underway, best treated as a Dolly Varden river until the first salmon arrive. Summer: pink and chum salmon push through in numbers, though the river carries its heaviest glacial load and the side channels fish better than the main stem. Fall: the river of the year, with coho in, the water clearing and the late chum run building toward the eagle gathering at the confluence. Winter: frozen through most of the river, though the spring-fed reach at the Chilkat confluence stays open and draws eagles rather than anglers.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Klehini River?
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