RAINBOW TROUT

Our home river, the Kvichack, consistently produces more Rainbows in excess of 28″ than any other river in Alaska. The worlds largest, some up to 18 pounds, come from this awesome resource here in Bristol Bay, making us a truly unparalleled Alaskan trout fishing destination.

Trout fishing is spectacular all season long in a variety of locations: from drifting the large rivers to wading in small mountain streams. June is great for catching big Spring rainbow trout that are hungry and aggressive. It is also the best time of the summer to get dry fly or mousing action! For those looking for a true monster rainbow trout, up to and exceeding 30 inches, late August through the end of September is the time to come. The big rainbows move out of the lake into the rivers to feed on the eggs of spawning salmon, and provide our anglers with an unbeatable opportunity to catch the fish of a lifetime.

ARCTIC CHAR

The Arctic Char is Alaska’s most beautiful fish when in their spawning colors. They are aggressive, and it is not unusual for our guests to catch 30 or more per rod on some of our more productive rivers. Char make a great shore lunch fish and can also grow to incredible size. Our lodge record is over 36 inches!

ARCTIC GRAYLING

Grayling are the hidden gem in Alaska’s fresh waters. They rarely exceed 20 inches in length, but more than make up for their small size with plentiful numbers and an enthusiasm to take a fly that is unmatched. Their iridescent colors and large dorsal fin make for incredible pictures, and are great to eat for a fish sandwich shore lunch.

KING SALMON (CHINOOK)

King Salmon are the largest of Alaska’s salmon and are known for their brute strength and wily behavior. This is a voracious predator that will challenge your skills and the best gear. You should be prepared for fights of 15 to 30 minutes to land some of these giants. Our King fishing program takes advantage of three different rivers in which we target these massive salmon.

SOCKEYE SALMON (RED)

Our home river, the Kvichack, has the largest Sockeye Salmon run in the world with three to five million fish every year. These fish average between 6-8 pounds and objectively taste the best of all the salmon. Guests are often amazed as they watch 20,000 fish per hour swim right past the lodge! Sockeye put up a spectacular fight when fly fishing – they empty reels, thrash line, jump end over end, and challenge fishermen!

Sockeye are also the engine that runs all of the incredible wildlife in Bristol bay. They are a food source for the Trout, Char, Grayling and other freshwater fish in the area. The bears in Bristol Bay are some of the largest in the world because they have the sockeye as a food source. Even the plant life benefits from the nutrients dumped into the area as the millions of sockeye spawn and die in the rivers each year providing fertilizer to thousands of square miles of Alaskan wilderness.

SILVER SALMON (COHO)

Silver salmon are considered by many to be the hardest fighting and most aggressive of all the Alaska salmon, and will run hard and leap high from the water when hooked. Fly fishing for these top predators is our specialty here at Alaska Rainbow Lodge. We have many locations where we can chase Coho from late June through early September.

CHUM SALMON (DOG)

Chum or Dog salmon are some of the most underrated sport fish in Alaska. They are large, aggressive, and incredibly strong. They make big runs and will strip off all your line in a hurry. Chum are the fastest salmon to turn into spawning colors once they have entered fresh water and become inedible (though a chrome chum can be great smoked). Their spawning colors of green and purple stripes and huge teeth make for fantastic pictures.

PINK SALMON

Pink salmon are the smallest of the Alaskan salmon species. They run every other year and can be extremely numerous in many of our rivers. They are not usually considered a great fish to take home for the dinner table, but can be tempted to eat almost anything and put up a great fight. Pinks can provide hours of entertainment when the run is in.

DOLLY VARDEN

The Dolly Varden trout is a species of salmonid fish native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. It belongs to the genus Salvelinus, or true chars, which includes 51 recognized species, the most prominent being the brook, lake and bull trout, as well as Arctic char. The Dolly Varden is one of the most beautiful and diverse fish in Alaska. Some spend their entire lives in freshwater lakes or rivers. Others spend part of the year in saltwater, a few months or just a few weeks, but spawn in fresh water.