Spring in Bristol Bay! This is a fantastic time for anglers after a trophy Rainbow Trout on the Flats or want to hone dry fly and mousing skills. The trout are just coming out of a long winter with limited food and they are hungry and aggressive! We have anglers who return year after year for that reason alone. Later in the month, the King Salmon run begins and continues into July. The largest species of salmon, they fight hard and are absolutely delicious.

Anglers need to be prepared for cool mornings down to the upper 40’s with highs typically in the low 60’s. Though rain and wind are always a possibility June has the best all around weather on average for the summer. Fresh leaves on the trees, bright green grass, and endless Alaskan days and sunsets makes for the perfect trip!

We know the Alaskan summer is in full swing when the Sockeye Salmon start making their way up the Kvichak, past our dock around the first week in July. Sockeye fight like crazy and are the most sought after fresh fish to take home. Add in a day of fishing for late run Kings, and you can have a fantastic fish box to take home at the end of the week. Trout fishing remains hot, especially in some of our higher mountain streams. Here, expect wading or rafting trips. Most of the true monster trout have returned to the lakes until the salmon begin to spawn in the fall. Bear viewing really kicks off in July, and the brown bears begin to concentrate around the streams to fish for salmon.

The weather in July is warmer in general, with lows in the 50’s and highs in the upper 60’s. On calm days, highs approaching 80 degrees are not uncommon, but are usually tempered by afternoon rain showers. For first time visitors to Alaska or family groups, the variety of fishing and other activities make July hard to beat.

August is by far our most popular time of the year. The aggressive and hard hitting Silver Salmon arrive early in the month and are found in various different river systems through early September. Trout start switching over to eating salmon eggs, so we switch to bead fishing to target the big ones. The monster trophy trout that left in June begin to show back up late in the month. Arctic Char fishing really heats up with big numbers and some fish up to, and exceeding, 30-inches in some of our secret spots.

August is generally the rainiest month of the summer, so anglers should be prepared with extra layers and high quality rain gear. Low temperatures usually don’t get below the mid-50’s with highs in the 60’s. The weather can start to get cooler towards the end of the month.

Yellow and orange fall colors lead us into September, the best month for the angler looking for the trout of a lifetime. All of the large fish that returned to the lakes in the spring are back to chase the spawning salmon, and they have almost doubled their body weight during the summer. For anyone looking for a 30-inch plus trout, this is the time to come. Arctic Char are plentiful and there are even still a few late run Silvers to chase early in the month.

September weather bounces between epic sunny days in the low 60’s and cooler rainy days that may struggle to get much above 50. Lows can touch freezing, and we usually have a few frosts in the morning before the end of the season. Base layers and fleece are your friend this time of year. Dealing with the colder weather is well worth it when you hook that trout of a lifetime!