Hi, If travel distance is not a factor, and consistency of hooking a chinook is more important than the size of the fish, where will you go to fly fish for Chinook? The ability to wade fish is important. Thanks in advance for sharing.
Pretty good numbers in all the streams flowing into Lake Michigan on the WI side. All are wading friendly.
You better check with a local Fly Shop before you go to Lake Ontario or Lake Erie Eastern shore Feeder streams or rivers. Most salmon have finished their spawning. Lots of Steelhead and big Browns eating eggs from the redds! I’m not sure about the other Great Lakes.
Adios, Philip43
Thats about what it looks like here on the west end of the Great Lakes Phillip, a few cohos hanging around too.
What time of the year are you going to be visting the areas? Critical to know that as it affects the activities of the fish and how much ice, if any, is on the waters.
Most Great Lakes tributaries have excellent wading. Also consider the finger lakes region of New York state. As far as western U.S./Canadian waters go I don’t know too much about them. Hope some of our members from those areas chime in to help you on your quest for knowledge.
I don’t know, but it is almost certainly in Alaska.
Gotta agree with that. I’ve only fished the Arolik and Kanektoc. Outstanding salmon (beautiful leopard rainbows, too). We were too late for kings, but the silvers were abundant early August. Not very wadable. Water too swift in most places.
fly caster99, I can’t help with your question, but since you are in Singapore, is the Maro Polo Hotel still standing? That was my home for a month or so back in '80…just wondering…
North Fork of the Unalakleet River in Alaska, 8 miles up river from the village of Unalakleet. There’s others up there I’m sure, but this one has fresh kings, one day from the salt, little pressure, and you can take a boat up it to the small gravel bars, wade, and fish the whole river.
Alaska for sure but things can happen in Alaska that can spoil your trip. My first trip was a disaster because of weather. This was in the early 1980’s. I was able to fish only 1 day out of the 5 days I was there. I could not get to the fly in lodge because the airplanes were grounded. My luggage was lost. Although I paid for the fly in lodge in advance, I was stranded so I had to find 2 nights of lodging at the equivalence of $500 night in the village of Illiamna.
On the other hand, fishing in the Lake Michigan tributaries is cheap. Lodging is cheap. Food is cheap. And the fish are huge.
Thanks for all the info. I expected all the rivers recommended to be either in the West Coast, BC Canada or Alaska. Looks like there is a thriving Chinook fishery in the Great Lakes area too. I’ll certainly give it good consideration. If you have any guides or fly shop that you can recommend for the great lakes area it will be most appreciated. I’m planning ahead for my 2013 trip in Jun/July time frame. Thanks again.
{PS for “big” : if you’re referring to the Marco Polo Hotel on Tanglin Road, yes, its still there… although I’ll much prefer a lodge in Alaska 
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In that time frame you can eliminate the great lakes. That is probably the worst time of the year to fish for lake run fish. Salmon fishing doesn’t really get going until late September here in Southwest Michigan though you can start a little earlier farther North.
Pere Marquette in western Lower Peninsula of Michigan!!! Bring lots of extra flies, leaders, and tippet though, the snags are big and numerous!!!