Macaulay Salmon Hatchery in Juneau

[luvSClake]

Is the hatchery on the way or near Mendenhall Glacier? We arrive in Juneau at 11am, I am hoping we can get a bite to eat in town, then plan to tour the glacier on our own before meeting up with Harv & Marv's whale watching tour at 4:45 . I know my husband would enjoy the hatchery so if possible I would like to fit it in. Thanks

[Kamloops50]

Is the hatchery on the way or near Mendenhall Glacier? We arrive in Juneau at 11am, I am hoping we can get a bite to eat in town, then plan to tour the glacier on our own before meeting up with Harv & Marv's whale watching tour at 4:45 . I know my husband would enjoy the hatchery so if possible I would like to fit it in. Thanks

 

The Hatchery is on the way to the Mendenhall Glacier.

[tee_harbor]

Is the hatchery on the way or near Mendenhall Glacier? We arrive in Juneau at 11am, I am hoping we can get a bite to eat in town, then plan to tour the glacier on our own before meeting up with Harv & Marv's whale watching tour at 4:45 . I know my husband would enjoy the hatchery so if possible I would like to fit it in. Thanks

 

Are you planning to rent a car? If so, it's very easy; the hatchery is right off our one expressway.

 

But if you're taking the shuttle bus to the glacier, it doesn't stop along the way. The hatchery is fairly easy to reach on the public bus, but you'd have to backtrack to town. Not a lot of time wasted, since it's not that far from downtown, but a consideration. You do have plenty of time, from the look of it.

[luvSClake]

No, not planning to rent a car, we are planning to take the shuttle out to the glacier and hoped it might stop at the hatchery. So, you are saying we could take a bus out to the hatchery, then back to town to get the shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier.

[PennyAgain]

No, not planning to rent a car, we are planning to take the shuttle out to the glacier and hoped it might stop at the hatchery. So, you are saying we could take a bus out to the hatchery, then back to town to get the shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier.

 

Yes but it is a slow pubic bus and it would take up way too much of your time.

[slider728]

Is the hatchery on the way or near Mendenhall Glacier? We arrive in Juneau at 11am, I am hoping we can get a bite to eat in town, then plan to tour the glacier on our own before meeting up with Harv & Marv's whale watching tour at 4:45 . I know my husband would enjoy the hatchery so if possible I would like to fit it in. Thanks

 

Perhaps Tee Harbor can weigh in on this, but in all my years in Juneau, I've never heard anyone call the hatchery "Macaulay Salmon Hatchery". I fished there daily for most of my teens and early 20's and all I had ever heard it referred to is DIPAC. I just bring that up in case you ask for directions or something. I'm sure most people would figure out what the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery is, but the only thing I had ever heard the locals refer to it as is DIPAC (pronounced like the words "die" and "pack").

 

That being said, I think it is a worthwhile stop when the salmon are running. I've never been on the tour (its on my too do list, but when I go there, I tend to go fishing rather than worry about the tour), but I've heard good things about it and it is cheap. Seeing the salmon congregate by the 100's of thousands is a pretty awesome sight.

 

That being said, given the information you have provided, I'm not sure if it would be feasible to go there. The ship gets in at 11 AM. By the time you get off and find a nearby restaurant, it is 11:30AM. You take an hour to eat and it is 12:30. Catch the blue bus to the glacier and it'll be 1PM. A walk to the falls is 45 min round trip and you take the time to wander a bit and take a few pictures, it'll be 3 PM. Catch the bus back to town, and you'll be back downtown around 3:30 PM. I'm not sure you could catch the city bus from the dock, to DIPAC, and back in 1 hour and 15 min.

 

On another thread, some people claimed to be getting a $30/day rate on economy cars from Avis, which would be a steal. If that is true, I'd consider renting a car. It'll be just as cheap and it'll give you a ton of flexibility.

 

Otherwise, if the hatchery is a priority, I'd grab the numbers of a few cab companies and take a taxi one way to/from the glacier.

 

Good luck and happy travels!

[JustThinking23]

I believe that Harv and Marv will pick you up from the Glacier, which would save time and expense to get back to town.

 

So, cab (or public bus) to DiPac and then cab (or public bus) to the glacier.

 

Obviously confirm with Harv and Marv

[Budget Queen]

The hatchery does have a short tour, but sometimes there is a wait, if you are a walk up. The salmon ladder is seen right next to the parking lot. Overall, without a tour, it's a 15 minute stop.

 

It would make far better use of your time, if you rented a car, simple to drive from Hatchery, Mendenhall Glacier and your whale watch, direct and with no extended waits (it can be up to an hour if you miss a city bus). If of interest, you can add a Brewery, Walmart stop. etc

[luvSClake]

I believe that Harv and Marv will pick you up from the Glacier, which would save time and expense to get back to town.

 

So, cab (or public bus) to DiPac and then cab (or public bus) to the glacier.

 

Obviously confirm with Harv and Marv

 

Yes, to save us some time, we are scheduled to have Harv & Marv pick us up at the Glacier, the hatchery isn't a priority, but thought if it was convenient and on the way to the Glacier it would be a stop that we would try to make. I had read about it on the Princess Excursion listing, but the tour where it is offered doesn't fit in with our whale watching tour.

[tee_harbor]

Yes but it is a slow pubic bus and it would take up way too much of your time.

 

Not really. DIPAC (Yes, this is what most locals call it, but old-time locals also remember Ladd Macaulay and would know what you mean) From the downtown stops, it's about a 15 minute ride on the public bus. You'd want the hospital stop, then walk down the hill, cross Egan Expressway at the light, then walk back in the direct of town until the street deadends at the hatchery. Perhaps a 5-10 minute walk?

 

In the afternoon, the bus runs on the half hour: http://www.juneau.org/capitaltransit/pdfs/busschedule5.pdf The fare is up to $4 RT, so X2, then the $16X2, and considering time lost--I always vote for renting a car. Juneau is very easy to drive and convenience of a car can't be beat, particularly with all the other things possible to see with the flexibility.

 

I love the hatchery. There's eagles around, lovely views across the channel, and I've seen harbor seals sneaking in for fish sometimes as well. The tour is interesting, and there's a small aquarium.

[TheCruisingBrewers]

My DH is interested in fishing from the shore (or dock) if it is available still near. I have read about rental of poles and such and just wondered if any had any info?

 

What would we need to bring? What you catch there etc?

 

Thank you!

[Budget Queen]

My DH is interested in fishing from the shore (or dock) if it is available still near. I have read about rental of poles and such and just wondered if any had any info?

 

What would we need to bring? What you catch there etc?

 

Thank you!

 

There isn't any place to rent fishing poles in Juneau, from this general area of the hatchery. Go to Walmart and purchase a cheap set. Get the details on the license

[slider728]

My DH is interested in fishing from the shore (or dock) if it is available still near. I have read about rental of poles and such and just wondered if any had any info?

 

What would we need to bring? What you catch there etc?

 

Thank you!

 

If you are looking at fishing at DIPAC, like anywhere else, it depends on the time of year and the fisherman and the particular challenge they are pursuing.

 

The salmon will be coming into DIPAC in sizeable numbers roughly the middle to end of June onward. When one goes down there, they will find a majority of people are snagging (note that there are rules about how far you have to be from a fresh water outlet when you are snagging. I forget the exact distance off the top of my head, but if you snag at the hatchery, make sure you are at least a good stone throw away from the dock on the side opposite the fish ladder. There used to be signs, but I don't think i saw them last summer)

 

If I were to recommend to someone who wanted to fish at DIPAC after the end of June and wanted to bring everything with them, I'd recommend the following:

 

fishing pole & reel: When snagging, I like a pole that is a bit on the stiff side, but that is a personal preference

 

line: I like to use Microfilament line (like Spiderwire) in a 20 to 30 pound test range. It is probably a bit overkill, but I like to reel the fish in as quickly as possible.

 

Snagging hook: I use snagging hooks like this: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Eagle-Claw-TroKar-Gator-Treble-Hook/1545733.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dsnagging%2Bhooks%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=snagging+hooks&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products You can buy these at any fishing section in Juneau for the most part (Western Auto is closest to DIPAC. Walmart is probably the next closest followed by Fred Meyers)

 

Needle Nosed Pliers: These are a huge help when catching and releasing to get the hooks out

 

License: As I mentioned, Western Auto is probably the closest place to DIPAC. I'm sure there is a place downtown to get a license, but I come from the other direction, so I don't buy a license downtown.

 

Nail Clipper or Small Knife: Most likely as you don't know the bottom, you will lose hooks. Bring a small nail clipper or knife to help trim the line after retying or in case you have to cut the line.

 

Boots can be nice, but not a necessity. You will probably get a bit wet and muddy without them.

 

If snagging isn't your thing, a lot of people use Blue Fox Pixie Spoons. Some people use Luhr-Jensen Krocodile lures (I've had better luck with the Pixies, but catch way more fish snagging). There is the occasional fly fisherman down there as well. However, as the salmon approach fresh water, they tend not to bite as much, so using lures is so-so IMHO around the hatchery.

 

I would look up the tides on the day you are going to be in Juneau. I have my best luck at the hatchery when I start at about 3/4 high tide and fish the outgoing tide. That will usually give you a good 2 or 3 hours where the fish are in easy casting range.

 

Fishing the hatchery, your most likely bet will be Dog/Chum Salmon. I've caught King, Pink, and Coho salmon there as well (I haven't caught any of these recently, but I haven't been there at the right time for these in the past 5 years or so)

 

I wouldn't plan on catching many fish worth keeping (again, it depends on your timing) and even if you do, the Chum salmon isn't the best eating species of salmon (though there is nothing wrong with them, just not as flavorful in my opinion). A healthy Chum salmon is a fun fight though!

 

Hope this helps!

[TheCruisingBrewers]

Thanks for the great info you are very helpfu!

 

Nancy

[tillys mom]

What an amazing answer about fishing!

 

We will be in Juneau the end of May, and I wondered what we would see at the hatchery since the salmon aren't running yet.

[slider728]

What an amazing answer about fishing!

 

We will be in Juneau the end of May' date=' and I wondered what we would see at the hatchery since the salmon aren't running yet.[/quote']

 

Thanks! I've fished there a time or two in my youth :)

 

Maybe one of the current locals can give you a better answer on the end of May as it has probably been 15+ years since I was there that time of year, but from what I recall, you probably won't see much. At that time of year, I don't think the fish ladder is even open yet, so you really won't get to see any fish in the "window". I don't recall any fish (or at least large quantities of them) that time of year.

 

To be honest, that early in the year, I don't think I'd recommend taking the time to go there. You might see a few eagles perched on the newpaper building, you might see a cargo barge docked and unloading, and you'll probably see a few locals wandering around waiting for the fish run to start (in other words, nothing very exciting).

 

Again, I'm working off an aging memory on this one. One of the locals can probably give you a better idea. I usually arrive in town between late June and late August now a days.

[tillys mom]

Thanks, I was afraid that would be the answer. At least we can spend our time doing more interesting things.