Anchorage Seasonal Food: Salmon, Berries, Crab

What is in season in Anchorage, and what to order when the market changes.

Spring

Copper River king salmon (mid-May to June): The Copper River District commercial salmon drift gillnet fishery opened May 22 in 2026 for a 12-hour fishing period. King salmon, the prized first-of-season fish, sells fast across Anchorage at high prices.
Spruce tip pickles (April-May): Foraged spruce tips appear on Anchorage spring menus, often pickled into a sour-citrus garnish. The Backcountry Eats and Foraging Treats day trip teaches identification and preparation.
Fiddlehead ferns and fireweed shoots (May): Wild fiddleheads and tender fireweed shoots forage briefly through May in the Chugach foothills; you will find them at higher-end Anchorage kitchens and the Spenard Farmers Market.

Copper River sockeye (May-July): Sockeye run May to July with a 2026 commercial harvest forecast of 728,000 fish on Copper River. Anchorage kitchens feature sockeye fillets on menus throughout summer at peak prices.
Pacific halibut (May-September): Halibut season runs May through September for Alaska commercial fleets out of Homer and Seward. Glacier BrewHouse and Simon and Seafort's run halibut steady through summer.
Wild blueberries and salmonberries (July-August): Wild blueberries, salmonberries and cloudberries appear at the Anchorage Market and Spenard Farmers Market through July and August, also foraged through the Chugach foothills.
Reindeer sausage carts (May-September): Tia's Gourmet Sausage, Fio's and Red Umbrella Reindeer set up on 4th Avenue downtown for the cruise season from May through mid-September, then pack up for winter.

Matanuska Valley produce at Alaska State Fair (August-September): Late August through early September runs the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, with the famous Matanuska Valley giant vegetables, including cabbage and pumpkin grown under the midnight sun.
Coho silver salmon (July-September): Silver coho salmon runs July through September, the last of the Alaska summer salmon, with strong year-class returns to Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay tributaries.
Lingonberries and cloudberries (August-September): Wild lingonberries and cloudberries are foraged in late August through September across the Mat-Su Valley and Chugach foothills, ending up in Anchorage bakery jams and pie shop fillings.

Red king crab from Bristol Bay (October-January): Bristol Bay red king crab opens for commercial harvest in October and runs through January when stocks allow. Whale's Tail and Crow's Nest list it as a winter speciality.
Reindeer and moose game meats (December-March): Alaska winter game meat tradition centres on reindeer (commercially farmed) and moose (subsistence-licensed). Fur Rondy in late February showcases reindeer dishes across downtown.
Smoked salmon candy (year-round, gift season): Smoked salmon candy, sweetened with brown sugar and slow-smoked, is the signature Alaska gift-shop and bar snack, available year-round at Alaska Sausage and Seafood Co and most Anchorage seafood counters.