Tongass National Forest

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Program Manager Message

Anglers the world over dream about Alaska. More than ever, healthy salmon runs returning to Southeast rainforest streams and lakes draw people from near and far. Anglers visiting southeast streams and lakes fish for cutthroat, rainbow, and steelhead trout; dolly varden char; and all five species of eastern Pacific salmon. In 1999, Southeast Alaska produced 97 million commercially caught salmon, nearly one-half of the 216 million caught statewide. Pinks, chum, and coho make up the majority of the catch. The $85 million earned from Southeast salmon was seven times the amount earned from salmon landed in the Western United States.

From Ketchikan to Yakutat, the 17 million acre Tongass covers 90% of Southeast Alaska. Commercial, sport charter, recreation, and subsistence fisheries are built on the back of some of the best fresh-water salmon habitat remaining on the globe. Habitat that is protected, managed, and enhanced by Forest Service fisheries biologists working for you.

Take a look through our pages here. Hopefully, you can make it here to fish on the Tongass. Give us a call when you get here. Happy fishing.

Ron Medel
Fisheries Program Manager, Tongass National Forest

USDA Forest Service - Tongass National Forest Accessibility Statement
Last Modified: November 29, 2007