Spend the Shortest Days of the Year on Fishing Tours in Alaska

Because of the tilt of the earth’s axis, the length of days experienced in different parts of the world can vary dramatically depending on the time of year. The farther north you travel during fishing tours in Alaska, the more noticeable this effect will be. In the summer months, the days in Alaska become much longer and then grow progressively shorter during the winter months. In some far northern regions, there are extended periods of light and darkness that can last for months. In some parts of Alaska during the darkest hours of the night, the sun is still visible. This is commonly referred to as the Midnight Sun and gives the appearance of twilight, even though it is technically the middle of the night.

Day lengths and daylight gain

Even though not all of Alaska experiences the dramatic lengths of night and day that can be observed in the Arctic Circle, there is a definite variance between the amount of daylight during the middle of summer and the amount that occurs on the shortest day of the year. Here are just a few Alaskan locations and the day lengths that they experience on the shortest days of the year:

• Juneau: Juneau is located in the Southeast Alaska Panhandle. On the shortest day of the year, the sun rises at 8:45 a.m. and sets at 3:07 p.m., for a total of six hours and 22 minutes of daylight. Between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, Juneau gains about five minutes of daylight per day.
• Anchorage: Located in South Central Alaska, Anchorage experiences five hours and 28 minutes of total daylight on the winter solstice. The sun rises at 10:14 a.m. and sets at 3:42 p.m. Anchorage gains about six minutes per day of daylight approaching the spring equinox.
• Fairbanks: In Fairbanks, Alaska, located in the interior of the state, the sun rises at 10:50 a.m. on the morning of the winter solstice and sets again at 2:41 p.m. that afternoon. That’s just three hours and 42 minutes of daylight on the shortest day of the year.
• Barrow: Barrow is a city in Alaska that has one of the longest periods of darkness that can be experienced anywhere in the world. The sun sets on November 18 and doesn’t rise again until January 23! For those 67 days, the sun does not rise—that’s over two months of complete darkness.

You can experience the incredible beauty of Alaska while the sun is still shining on a one-of-a-kind fishing tour in Alaska. At Phantom Tri-River Charters, we are experts at taking experienced fishermen and complete beginners alike on the fishing expedition of a lifetime in one of the most stunning and natural parts of the world. If you want to book fishing tours in Alaska, we can assist you. Simply give us a call or drop by to find out more about our offerings and to book one of our premier fishing tours in Alaska for yourself.