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Bristol Bay Late Fall Fishing Report - Coho, Rainbows, and Pike Bite
Published 5 months ago
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Good morning, this is Artificial Lure checking in with your Bristol Bay, Alaska fishing report for Monday, November 24th, 2025.
We’re deep into late fall now, so things around the bay have cooled right off, but that doesn’t mean the fishing’s over—far from it if you know where to look and what to rig. Here’s what you need to know before wetting a line today.
Sunrise was at 7:40 am, with sunset coming early at 3:43 pm. Daylight’s at a premium, so plan on tight windows for that hot bite. The weather this morning is cold and overcast, with temps hovering right around freezing and light winds off the bay—a classic late-November scenario up this way, so bundle up and watch for some slick footing on the river banks.
Tidewise, Herring Bay set the tone for today’s cycle. We saw the first high at 2:42 this morning, with a low at 8:11 am, and another high rolling in at 2:03 pm. That means if you’re targeting a tide-driven bite—especially out around the Nushagak or Kvichak—you’ll want to be in position before that mid-morning low and hang in through the afternoon push (according to Tide-Forecast.com). That late incoming can really fire up what’s left of the coho in the main rivers, and any dolly varden downstream.
Speaking of fish activity—most of the major salmon runs have wrapped. The reds and chums are mostly done, and brown bears out at Brooks River have gorged themselves and started to disappear back into cover, per the National Park Service. But pockets of coho can still be found holding in deeper pools and back eddies, especially in the Naknek and Egegik systems. Some locals reported landing silvers last week in the low teens—bright fish, still in good eating shape for the smoker.
Resident rainbow trout are still game before full freeze-up, especially if you’re working the Bristol Bay tribs with smaller streamers or beads. Dolly varden are settling in, a few still getting caught, but most heading toward their wintering spots. Northern pike in the shallow lakes around Dillingham are a solid bet; a few hefty fish were iced just before last weekend.
Best lures and bait right now—think slow and subtle. For coho, try a #3 or #4 Vibrax in green or chartreuse, cast right into deeper runs as the tide starts to swing back in. Eggs and bright marabou jigs under a float are still tempting the scattered silvers and dollies. For the trout, go with flesh flies and single beads in natural roe color—match the spent salmon drifting by, and you’ll get those takes. Pike anglers are pulling swimbaits and classic spoons, or large dead baits if you’re setting tip-ups along weed lines.
Hot spots to try today:
- The lower Naknek River below Rapids Camp has been producing some surprise coho and rainbows on the slack tide.
- Inside Nushagak Bay, just off the mouth of the Wood River, the outgoing tide has stacked some late dollies and a healthy few sea-run rainbows.
- If you’re looking for pike, Lake Aleknagik’s shallow north bays are worth a shot with a flash spoon or smelt-pattern soft plastic.
Just a heads up—access is getting rough, and a lot of the smaller creeks are fixing to lock up with the next cold snap. Use caution at the launches, and keep an eye on the weather.
Thanks for tuning in to the Bristol Bay fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for all the latest updates and local knowledge. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
We’re deep into late fall now, so things around the bay have cooled right off, but that doesn’t mean the fishing’s over—far from it if you know where to look and what to rig. Here’s what you need to know before wetting a line today.
Sunrise was at 7:40 am, with sunset coming early at 3:43 pm. Daylight’s at a premium, so plan on tight windows for that hot bite. The weather this morning is cold and overcast, with temps hovering right around freezing and light winds off the bay—a classic late-November scenario up this way, so bundle up and watch for some slick footing on the river banks.
Tidewise, Herring Bay set the tone for today’s cycle. We saw the first high at 2:42 this morning, with a low at 8:11 am, and another high rolling in at 2:03 pm. That means if you’re targeting a tide-driven bite—especially out around the Nushagak or Kvichak—you’ll want to be in position before that mid-morning low and hang in through the afternoon push (according to Tide-Forecast.com). That late incoming can really fire up what’s left of the coho in the main rivers, and any dolly varden downstream.
Speaking of fish activity—most of the major salmon runs have wrapped. The reds and chums are mostly done, and brown bears out at Brooks River have gorged themselves and started to disappear back into cover, per the National Park Service. But pockets of coho can still be found holding in deeper pools and back eddies, especially in the Naknek and Egegik systems. Some locals reported landing silvers last week in the low teens—bright fish, still in good eating shape for the smoker.
Resident rainbow trout are still game before full freeze-up, especially if you’re working the Bristol Bay tribs with smaller streamers or beads. Dolly varden are settling in, a few still getting caught, but most heading toward their wintering spots. Northern pike in the shallow lakes around Dillingham are a solid bet; a few hefty fish were iced just before last weekend.
Best lures and bait right now—think slow and subtle. For coho, try a #3 or #4 Vibrax in green or chartreuse, cast right into deeper runs as the tide starts to swing back in. Eggs and bright marabou jigs under a float are still tempting the scattered silvers and dollies. For the trout, go with flesh flies and single beads in natural roe color—match the spent salmon drifting by, and you’ll get those takes. Pike anglers are pulling swimbaits and classic spoons, or large dead baits if you’re setting tip-ups along weed lines.
Hot spots to try today:
- The lower Naknek River below Rapids Camp has been producing some surprise coho and rainbows on the slack tide.
- Inside Nushagak Bay, just off the mouth of the Wood River, the outgoing tide has stacked some late dollies and a healthy few sea-run rainbows.
- If you’re looking for pike, Lake Aleknagik’s shallow north bays are worth a shot with a flash spoon or smelt-pattern soft plastic.
Just a heads up—access is getting rough, and a lot of the smaller creeks are fixing to lock up with the next cold snap. Use caution at the launches, and keep an eye on the weather.
Thanks for tuning in to the Bristol Bay fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for all the latest updates and local knowledge. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI