The Salcha River (Lower Tanana: Sołchaget) is a 125-mile (201 km) tributary of the Tanana River in Alaska. Rising in the eastern part of the Fairbanks North Star Borough east of Fort Wainwright, it flows generally west-southwest to meet the larger river at Aurora Lodge, 33 miles (53 km) southeast of Fairbanks.

The Salcha drains an area of 2,170 square miles (5,620 km2), making it the second-largest tributary of the Tanana. The Trans-Alaska Pipeline crosses under the Salcha approximately 12 miles (19 km) east of the mouth of the river.

Recreation

The Salcha River is a popular sports-fishing stream accessible by boat or on foot from the Richardson Highway, which crosses the lower river near the mouth. The main species are king salmon, caught mostly near the mouth, and Arctic grayling, caught mostly further upstream.

Catch and release fishing for Chinook salmon averaging 20 to 25 pounds (9 to 11 kg) can be good on this river. Summer-run chum and fall-run coho salmon also frequent the Salcha, as do smaller numbers of northern pike.