Fishing

The type of fishing you do while at Bear Trail Lodge is your choice. Whether it’s wading, drifting, casting or plugging, your guide will help you fish in whichever way you enjoy the most. You can fly fish or use conventional gear. There are streams that are fly fishing only areas and there are rivers that allow either fly fishing or conventional gear.

The location of Bear Trail Lodge, on the trophy-class Naknek River, assures our guests will have the opportunity to fish each day during their stay. At our lodge, we have the best of both worlds. The fishing is excellent on our “home” river and the lodge is very close to many “fly-out” rivers.

Alaska Fishing Video

Fishing Season in Alaska

Our season begins June 8th, which is the opener for the river systems and Bristol Bay comes alive. At our lodge, you can start fishing for salmon or you can enjoy one of our many fly-out locations for some dry fly, nymphing, or streamer fishing for rainbow trout, arctic char, grayling, and northern pike. We also offer many options to accommodate your needs should you want to both fish for salmon as well as do fly-outs.
King Salmon fishing on the Naknek River in Alaska

King Salmon Fishing

The mighty chinook king salmon, the largest fish of the Pacific salmon family, begin to arrive in their native rivers in June. Anglers visiting us at this time of the year can fish for kings on the Naknek, Nushagak, or Alagnak Rivers. The kings average between 20 and 30 pounds. We do offer many ways to fish for these mighty kings, conventional gear, fly fishing or two handed spey fishing. You will travel a short distance by boat from the lodge to fish for kings or you can choose to fly out to fish one of our other rivers. The flights from the lodge are included in your package and our head guide will meet with you each night to help decide which river to go to. King fishing stays good from June 15 through July 31.
Sockeye Salmon fishing in King Salmon Alaska

Sockeye Salmon Fishing

During the end of June and through July, the Naknek River becomes the passageway for sockeye salmon to instinctively return to their spawning grounds. Millions of sockeye pass right in front of the lodge, with as many as 20,000 fish per hour swimming by. These fish are fresh in from the ocean, are dime bright and put up a spectacular fight once hooked. The bag limit for sockeye on the Naknek River is very generous. Many people prefer the rich taste of the sockeye salmon’s deep red meat over any of the other salmon.
Man holding a Chum Salmon in Alaska

Silver, Chum, & Pink Salmon Fishing

The next species to arrive at the streams in the Bristol Bay area are silver, chum, and pink salmon. These fish show up each summer around the last week of July. Silver salmon fishing is very exciting and many anglers prefer silvers to all other salmon because of their hard strikes and many long runs with spectacular tail dances. Chum salmon, although not prized like the kings, sockeye, and silvers, offer a very enjoyable sport fishing experience. These fish average 8 to 10 pounds and put on a tremendous fight as they aggressively take a fly. We generally catch and release these fish which provide for a very exciting day of fishing.
Man holding a large rainbow trout

Rainbow Trout Fishing

Mid-August through October, rainbow trout return to the Naknek to stock up for the long, cold winter. Although we have tremendous rainbow trout fishing in many of the surrounding nearby streams of Katmai National Park throughout the entire summer, this is our “trophy” time of the season on our home rivers. The Naknek holds an abundance of 22–28 inch rainbows and each year we land quite a few fish in excess of 30 inches. These prized fish will quicken your pulse as they make run after run as you try to land one. They are pound-for-pound the best fighting sport fish in the world. If you want to catch a true trophy rainbow trout, you will want to be at our lodge in mid-August through the end of October.

Where to Fish

Many times throughout the season, especially when fishing big rainbow trout, the Naknek is the river of choice. Throughout the Bristol Bay and Lake Iliamna area, there are tremendous fishing opportunities allowing guests to see and experience the flavor of this great area. Our central location makes many of the remote streams very accessible and only a short flight away. We are near Katmai National Park and Preserve and have permits to operate on “limited access” rivers. Bear Trail Lodge facilitates fly-outs to take guests to different rivers throughout the area to fish for all five species of salmon, arctic char, grayling, and rainbow trout. These adventures are included in guest package prices.

The benefit of choosing to visit Bear Trail Lodge is whether you decide to fly-out to fish a nearby stream or stay and experience the wonders that our home river offers, your fishing day will be filled with adventure and excitement.

Couple holding a huge fish at bear trail lodge
A Typical Day on the RiverLearn What to Expect during Your Stay

When to Fish

Rainbow Trout

June 8 - Oct. 15
On June 8th when the rivers open, the average size can be 16–26” fish on many rivers throughout the region. In September - October the fall trout fishing can be amazing with catching bows as big as 30".

Rainbows, Arctic Char and Grayling

June 8 - October 15
Fly fishing for Leopard Rainbows, Arctic Char, and Grayling can be done during this time, with many great fly-out locations. We have many rafting, hiking or boating options for these amazing fish.

King Salmon

June 15 - July 31
Excellent fishing throughout the season for 20–30 pound fish on the Naknek and Nushagak Rivers.

Chum Salmon

July 15 - Aug. 20
Great fighting sport fish averaging 8-10 pounds; excellent for spin, fly or two handed fishing.

Sockeye Salmon

June 28 - July 20
World’s largest salmon run passes right in front of the lodge. We fish the Kvichak and Naknek rivers for these amazing fish.

Two-Handed Spey Casting

The Naknek River is tailor-made for spey casting with long runs of great stretches of fishable water. The best times to fish for rainbows on the Naknek with a spey rod are June 8 - June 28 and again Sept. 1 - Oct. 15.

Silver Salmon

Aug 1 - Sept. 15
Very exciting fish to catch; excellent combo with rainbows.

When to Fish

Rainbow Trout

June 8 - October 15
On June 8th when the rivers open, the average size can be 16–26” fish on many rivers throughout the region. In September - October the fall trout fishing can be amazing with catching bows as big as 30".
 
 

Rainbows, Arctic Char and Grayling

June 8 - October 15
Fly fishing for Leopard Rainbows, Arctic Char, and Grayling can be done during this time, with many great fly-out locations. We have many rafting, hiking or boating options for these amazing fish.

King Salmon

June 15 - July 31
Excellent fishing throughout the season for 20–30 pound fish on the Naknek and Nushagak Rivers.
 
 

Sockeye Salmon

June 28 - July 20
World’s largest salmon run passes right in front of the lodge. We fish the Kvichak and Naknek rivers for these amazing fish.

Chum Salmon

July 15 - Aug. 20
Great fighting sport fish averaging 8-10 pounds; excellent for spin, fly or two handed fishing.
 
 

Silver Salmon

Aug 1 - Sept. 15
Very exciting fish to catch; excellent combo with rainbows.

Two-Handed Spey Casting

The Naknek River is tailor-made for spey casting with long runs of great stretches of fishable water. The best times to fish for rainbows on the Naknek with a spey rod are June 8 - June 28 and again Sept. 1 - Oct. 15.

 

Let’s Start Planning the Alaskan Fishing Trip of a Lifetime!

Call us at (907) 246-2327 or fill out the form, and we’ll be in touch with you shortly.

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