Salmon

Huge salmon runs return to Anchorage area rivers and streams each summer. Here you’ll spot five species of Alaska salmon: king (or chinook), red (sockeye), pink (humpy), silver (coho), and chum (sometimes called dog).

Salmon are literally steps from the city. Ship Creek’s king and silver salmon runs are popular for fishing and viewing. The annual king salmon derby is a prime chance for accessible fishing. Viewing platforms give onlookers the best view of the action, as salmon crowd the waterway on their trip upstream. It's one of the few places you can catch an Alaska salmon steps from the hotel. The nearby William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery offers another window on the waters with views of fish at various stages of development.

Further south, the streams feeding into Turnagain Arm host their own runs, as does the Portage Valley.

Anchorage seafood restaurants give salmon pride of place with fresh filets served every way imaginable.

And the flavors of Alaska travel well. Local seafood and game processors can pack and ship your catch and also sell savory selections of smoked salmon as well. Smoked with spices, dried into jerky strips, or cold smoked as lox – the list goes on and on.

Of course, salmon aren’t the only fish in Alaska. Halibut, rockfish, cod, crab, and many species of shellfish all come from the fresh waters offshore.