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Sheefish
A little known bonus to fishing in Alaska, the sheefish provides our guests with some fantastic fishing.
Sheefish, Stenodus leucichthys.
Common name: Inconnu
Description: large, wide mouth that extends beyond eye; caudal fin is forked; green blue or brown above, changing to light silver or white on sides and below; small non-sharp bands of teeth on top and bottom jaws; have large scales.
Similar fish: Mountain Whitefish, Prosopium williamsoni.
Where found: North America, with migration to Alaska and northern Canada.
Size: reaches 55 pounds and 49 inches.
Remarks: young feed on plankton, after first year becoming predatory; spawning is usually in late fall with the fish sometimes traveling up to 1,000 miles; fish do not feed during spawning season.
This member of the whitefish family nicknamed "Tarpon of the north" averages eight to fifteen pounds with fish up into the 30 pound range taken each year. The Sheefish is a main river fish, migrating up river to the Innoko headwaters in large schools to spawn in the fall. During this summer migration they feed heavily on the salmon smolt migrating downstream. The sheefish are in the river all summer but the success in catching is dependent solely on water clarity. If the main river is muddy, the fishing is tough. If the water clarity is at least 18 inches the fishing is very good. The tackle required for sheefish is identical as for the pike, except on a smaller scale.
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