Stikine River

The Stikine River

The Stikine River (called the GREAT RIVER by the Tahltan people) has seen many gold rushes come and go, from the early fur trade through the Klondike Gold Rush to the modern gold rush of the lower Iskut River. The river was the 'All Canadian Route' to the Klondike and was navigated by a multitude of stern wheel freight boats from 1890 to 1968 when roadways made the stern wheelers obsolete.

The Tahltan Indians were the original settlers in this area. The Tahltans lived at various seasonal locations along the Stikine River, trading with both the Cascas of the high interior and the Tlingits of the Pacific coast. Today, the Tahltans live in the communities of Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake and Iskut.

In the mid 1860’s, the need for communications link to Europe initiated a survey of the Stikine for development of the Collins Overland Telegraph Trail. This project introduced the use of sternwheelers on the river, which brought telegraph wire and other construction materials to what is known as Telegraph Creek. This telegraph route was abandoned after cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic, linking North America with Europe.

Since 1968, the Stikine has returned to nature. Following a decade of virtually no traffic, a small fishing operation was developed on the lower portion of the river. The Stikine is a transboundry river sharing 35 kilometers of its lower water course with Alaska.

Between mid May and the end of October , the 20,000 square miles of wilderness in Stikine Country has much to offer visitors. Located at the head of navigation Telegraph Creek offers the following: the starting point for river travel on the lower portion of the Stikine River through the Coast Mountains to the Pacific Ocean; access to the Grand Canyon of the Stikine, approximately 95 km (60 miles) in length, one of the largest, most beautiful canyons in Canada; access to the Stikine River Recreation Area, day and overnight hiking and camping opportunities; hiking and flight access to 9,000+' Mt. Edziza, an undeveloped Provincial Park which surrounds some of Canada's most recent volcanic activity and contains many unique geological formations; animal viewing by flight or hiking.

The Stikine River also offers a variety of fishing opportunities. All five species of Pacific Salmon spawn in the river. Spring (King/Chinook) Salmon offers excellent fishing from late June through mid July. There are Dolly Varden, Rainbow, and Cutthroat Trout as well as the occasional Grayling, Whitefish, and Ling Cod. Steelhead return to the river beginning in late August. There are also many excellent fishing lakes in the area which are easily accessible by float plane.

A Map of the Stikine River