WORLD CLASS ALASKAN FISHING & ADVENTURE LODGE

2023 Season is Here.

When The Calendar Turns

As the temperatures begin to climb again and all of the snow dissipates, our gear is all lined up in preparation for our favorite season. Alaska Rainbow Lodge is always looking forward to the start of a new and exciting season of fishing. While our staff and guides are eager to welcome visitors once more, we are finishing up our spring cleaning and tuning up our boats for all the anglers waiting to visit our Alaska salmon fishing lodges.

When late spring and early summer grow nearer, we get a bit restless as winter has undoubtedly overstayed its welcome. Early summer is when our fishing season finally comes into full swing, and those monster salmon and trophy catches we have all been waiting for begin biting at our lines once more. Salmon begin making their way into our waters, and our lines start to cast out for incredible days on the water. You can also count on finding an array of fish species such as Arctic Char, Rainbow Trout, and Arctic Grayling.

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WHO WE ARE.

Alaska Rainbow Lodge is a renowned location for fishing in Bristol Bay, hosting anglers worldwide, thanks in no small part to the abundance of highly sought game fish and the pristine waters they inhabit. Fishing in Alaska is something that every avid angler should experience. Usually, the most daunting part of the Alaskan fishing season is figuring out what to wear while fishing in Alaska or creating a fishing trip checklist. To help you wade through your options, we put together a quick guide to ensure you have everything you need in Bristol Bay.

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Run Forecasts and Harvest Projections for 2023 Alaska Salmon Fisheries

Fishing Reports

Naknek-Kvichak Rivers

The Naknek-Kvichak is expected to see 18 million sockeye this summer. The Kvichak River is forecasted to have a run of 8 million sockeye, the Naknek could see over 6 million and Alagnak forecast is set at 4 million.

Bristol Bay Region

Bristol Bay should see relatively strong sockeye runs this summer, though they’re not expected to be near last year’s record-breaking run and harvest. Around 50 million sockeye are forecasted to return to the bay, according to the state’s forecast for the 2023 fishing season. The total escapement is projected to reach 13 million with around 37 million fish available to harvest. That’s a good deal lower than last year, and it’s also lower than the average over the last 10 years. But looking a little further back, this summer's run is still expected to be 40% above the bay’s long-term average.The strength of the salmon returns varies across river systems, and the Nushagak District, on the west side of the bay, has seen some of the biggest sockeye runs and highest harvests in recent years.

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Alaska Rainbow Lodge Adventures

Alaskan Fishing Trip Checklist

There are several items to consider bringing with you, depending on your preferences and how long you’ll be staying (some guests continue their Alaskan adventure after visiting with us). However, rather than make an extensive list of necessitie, we decided just to make a shortlist of a few general travel items:

Travel documents and plane tickets
Wallet and tender
Medication
Camera with batteries and extra memory cards
Waterproof bag
Polarized sunglasses
Small backpack for day trips
Sunscreen
Lip Balm
Utility knife
Insect repellent
Toiletries

History of Bristol Bay and Sockeye Salmon

Sockeye play an intricate role in the Bristol Bay ecosystem by not only bending your rods and filling your freezers with delicious meat, but by nourishing everything in the watersheds they inhabit. Most Sockeye Salmon are hatched in rivers that are fed by a lake where they travel to after hatching. They will feed and grow until big enough to make one of the greatest migratory journeys ever! As the juvenile sockeye (smolt) make their way from the lakes downstream towards the ocean, rainbow trout lay in wait and gorge on them and fatten up as the sockeye swim by. Whales and seals wait at the Bay to greet the small salmon fry as they make their way into the saltwater. They spend 3 years in the ocean surviving, eating zooplankton and growing until returning to the freshwater rivers. These persistent and powerful fish will travel up to 1600km (that’s almost 1,000 miles!) to spawn in the same riverbeds where they were hatched in.

BROOKS FALLS - KATMAI NATIONAL PARK

A Unique Experience

Brooks River offers tremendous fishing opportunities for rainbow trout, arctic char, and salmon. Its run of sockeye salmon, in particular, also attract one of the greatest gatherings of brown bears on earth. No matter when you visit, fishing the Brooks River requires extra care and responsibility to protect people, wildlife, and the experience.

Fishing In Bear Country

The sheer number of bears, their movements, and behaviors influence most activities at Brooks Camp. The waters of Katmai are a challenging and rewarding place to fish. A splashing fish sounds like food to a bear. Bears will often move in your direction to investigate a fish on a line. Always be prepared to cut or break your line, so that you can free the fish and move out of the water until the bear passes. Never let a bear acquire a fish from you.

It is easy to become so engaged in fishing, that you forget to be alert for bears. They are surprisingly quiet and difficult to see in dense grass or tall brush, so always have someone spot bears for you. At minimum, keep 50 yards between yourself and all bears. Stop fishing and move away well before a bear approaches within 50 yards, or you may find yourself in a situation with a fish on the line and a bear in pursuit.