Fishing in Sakhalin

Sakhalin is home to some of the greatest coldwater fisheries on the planet. The island just off the eastern coast of Russia's mainland is home to prolific salmon runs and a host of other salmonid species. The largest of these species is the Sakhalin Taimen, Parahucho perryi, which has found sanctuary in several of the rivers and estuaries around the island. The Sakhalin Taimen is listed as an endangered species as numbers has dwindled over the past century. The protected rivers of Sakhalin are home to the largest numbers of Sakhalin Taimen in the world with some truly massive individuals still patrolling the local waters. Alongside the Sakhalin Taimen, 8 species of salmonids are found on the island: Chum Salmon, Pink Salmon, Cherry Salmon, Coho Salmon, White Spotted Char (Kundzha), Dolly Varden, Blunt Snouted Lenok, and Siberian Grayling. All of these species provide an excellent challenge for anglers.

Sakhalin Salmon Fishing

The first salmon runs of the year begin in late May when the Cherry Salmon begin entering streams to spawn. These are the smallest members of the Pacific Salmons but inject the first loads of nutrients and protein into the local rivers. In late June and early July, Pink Salmon (Gorbuscha) begin filtering into the streams in considerable numbers. These runs continue in late August and early September. Chum salmon (Keta) are the next to filter into the river by mid to late August and continue into the fall. The final runs are that of the Coho salmon (Kisutch) which begin in early September and run through October. Each of these fish are hard fighters and willing to eat lures and streamers even after moving into the local streams. These salmon congregate in deeper holes and runs in the rivers as the slowly move to the longer riffles and smaller tributaries to build their redds.

Sakhalin Taimen Fishing

The Sakhalin Taimen bring more anglers to Sakhalin than any other fish. These apex predators spend the winter months sheltering in the local rivers of the area, feeding on juvenile salmon, char, redfin, and any other fish they find. As the rivers thaw in the Spring, taimen make their way to the estuaries and the Sea of Okhotsk. This heralds the first window to target the taimen. The fishing in the shallow marshes that line the estuaries begin toward the end of May and last through the Summer. June and July are the best times to target trophy sized Sakhalin Taimen that can easily exceed 20kg and 1 meter in length. During these months, taimen with patrol the shallow grass beds looking for eels, juvenile salmon, and a host of other smaller fish trying to bulk up in the productive waters. These fish are often solitary but may be seen grouped up when food is particularly abundant. Feeding fish can be seen blowing up on the surface with rises that most closely resemble feeding dolphins. The style of fishing here may be familiar for American fly anglers who have targeted redfish in the marshes of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

Beginning in September these Taimen will start their move back into the rivers in preparation for winter. This migration will be in full swing by early October as the Taimen stage in the deeper holes and runs in the river. October is the premier month for anglers looking to target the largest taimen in the rivers. While taimen fishing is never considered easy, the sheer number of trophy sized individuals in the river at these time strongly increases your odds of landing the fish of a lifetime.

Targeting Taimen requires some hefty gear. Keeping these hefty fish from digging into the grass and burying themselves in the plentiful wood in the river can be a tall order. The largest lures in the box are a must when targetting trophy sized taimen. Large spoons, hair jigs, swimbaits, jerkbaits, glide baits, and even topwater plugs are all excellent choices.

For fly anglers setups very with the time of year, but a 10 weight rod would be the minimum needed when targeting the Sakhalin Taimen. In the summer months, an intermediate line is excellent for the shallow estuaries. As the fish enter the rivers in September, a 15-25 foot heavy sink tip is more ideal for anglers. Short, heavy duty leaders are good enough to get the job done in the marsh, steeper, and shallower sections of the rivers. A variety of flies is crucial for finding the most success so long as they are all plus sized. Any fly over 8" may be passed up on by the larger individuals. The smaller flies will also be destroyed by some of the smaller fish in the rivers, so maybe bring extra if this is the path you choose. Within the marsh and with the sink tip line, light weighted or neutrally buoyant flies work best. With a floating line, heavier flies can be effective at times when fish are sauntering in the deeper holes. Another interesting opportunity comes around in October when taimen are known to come to the surface for mouse/rat patterns in the lowlight hours. This would certainly deliver a moment no angler would soon forget.

Char Fishing in Sakhalin

The White Spotted Char or Kundzha (Coon-jah), may be the pound for pound hardest fighting fish in these rivers. Fish that are fresh in from the marsh are freight trains and voracious feeders. While the average Kundzha ranger in the 18-22" range, individuals in the 30" range can be found in the larger rivers. Targeting these Char are no different than fishing for the transitioning salmon and smaller taimen. 6-10" streamers or a wide variety of conventional lures will garner plenty of attention from the fish. These methods also work for the Dolly Varden (Dollietsk) that run the rivers in late summer and fall. Another method to target these char would be to fish the riffles in the higher reaches of the rivers and their tributary streams where pink, chum, and coho salmon spawn. Later in the year (October), the largest and most colorful Kundzha and Dolly Varden will be found lingering below the salmon redds. Here egg patterns can be used to catch a nearly endless number of char making easy meals of the stray salmon roe.

Sakhalin Fishing Guides

A handful of streams offer public fishing access throughout the island but road access can be limited. While smaller char and smaller runs of salmon can be found in many of the public access streams, the best fisheries can only be found off the beaten path. The secluded rivers around and north of the town of Nogliki are home to some of these trophy fisheries for taimen, char, grayling, and lenok. Vladimir has been guiding the rivers and streams of this area for many years and is very familiar with the fish. He is deeply invested in the success of his guests as well as the future of these threatened fish. Whether visiting for a weekend or a multi week getaway, he can host individuals or groups at his lodge. For more information, use the contact form at the bottom of our home page.

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