Saturday, May 16th, 2026

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Saturday, May 16th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Here’s where to catch a ‘humpback’ in the Great Lakes area

Guide Tyler Dunn hoists a spawning male pink salmon. Many salmon species have two names, i.e., Chinooks are “kings” and cohos are “silvers.” Pink salmon, go figure, have the nickname “humpback,” thanks to the distinctive feature males develop during their spawning run. (Photo courtesy of Tyler Dunn)

If you do a quick online search for Alaska fly-fishing guides who target pink salmon, you’ll get plenty of hits.
After all, pink salmon are the most abundant Pacific salmon, and guides are more than willing to cater to clients who like to experience prodigious river runs of early-autumn fish that are often über-easy to catch with flies, with light tackle, and other gear more commonly associated with spring-creek trout. If you believe the hype, 100-fish days on some rivers are a real thing and not just marketing hyperbole. It can, and has, happened.
Try that same online experiment for the Great Lakes, however, and your search is far from a target-rich environment.

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