This dataset provides estimates of river ice breakup and freeze-up stages along selected reaches of the Yukon and Tanana Rivers in the Yukon River Basin in interior Alaska from 1972-2016. Time series of Landsat satellite images were visually interpreted to identify the day of year and characteristics of the different stages of river ice seasonality. The stages of breakup or freeze-up were distinguished from one another based on the spatial extent and patterns of open water and ice cover. Images were displayed as false color composites, with the shortwave infrared (SWIR), near infrared (NIR), and green bands represented by red, green, and blue.