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The Deshka River
We love to fish the Deshka River and we would love to be your Deshka River fishing guides. Our charters to the Deshka River begin at the Deshka Landing located in Willow, Alaska. It's a short 45-minute drive north of Wasilla, Alaska and a scenic 90-minute north from Anchorage. From the boat launch it's a short 15 minute ride down the Big Susitna River to the mouth of the Deshka River where the fun begins. We often fish the mouth in the early season and gradually move up as the fish migrate farther upstream. For the most part we fish the lower 7 miles of the river from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game weir downstream.
About the Deshka
The Deshka River is a beautiful and wild Alaska stream that runs from the lower reaches of the Alaska Range to its confluence with the Big Susitna River. The length of the Deshka from its headwaters above the forks of Kroto Creek to the mouth is approximately 140 river miles.
Deshka River is a shallow river averaging 2-8 ft in depth. In low water conditions it can be very challenging to navigate by riverboat due many shallows, riffles and gravel bars making jet powered and air powered boats a must. Water flows vary from 200-1500 cfs between winter and summer conditions. The color of Deshka River water is a darker "coffee color" from the tanis present in the water. Its source comes mainly from the upper stretches of Moose and Kroto Creeks.
The Sights
Over half the Deshka Rivers length is surrounded by wetlands, which hosts many different kinds of wildlife. The terrain along the river is mostly rolling hills with moderately dense tree cover and foliage. During the 2005 fishing season our guests saw bears, moose, wolves, coyote, foxes, beavers, porcupines, otters, mink, muskrat, bald eagles, swans, ducks, and many other kinds of wildlife along the banks of the Deshka River.
The views traveling to and from the Deshka are beautiful and often include panoramic vistas of the Alaska Range, Talkeetna Mountains, and Mt. McKinley, which is North America's highest peak.
The Fishing
Fishing on the Deshka River can be excellent and all five species of North American Salmon can be found here; King Salmon, Silver Salmon, Chum Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, and Pink Salmon. Rainbow Trout and Arctic Grayling can also be caught in the Deshka. It truly is world class fishing in an easily accessible location making it a perfect stop for the traveler that can't afford to get too far off the beaten path.
Check out this link to see fish count data provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. ADFG FISH COUNT DATA |
