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Bristol Bay Lodge, Alaska
Bristol Bay Lodge has spent nearly 50 seasons overlooking Lake Aleknagik in the heart of Wood-Tikchik State Park. From this hillside the crew can point floatplanes toward the Agulowak, Agulukpak, Kanektok, Goodnews, Togiak, and a dozen other rivers inside Wood-Tikchik and the neighboring Togiak National Wildlife Refuge.
Guests still talk about the mix of polished hospitality and honest Alaska bush life: legendary DeHavilland Beaver floatplanes, veteran guides, jet boats cached on remote rivers, and overnight outpost camps that keep anglers on the water when the midnight sun refuses to set.
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Why Anglers Keep Coming Back
Three hundred and fifty miles southwest of Anchorage, Bristol Bay Lodge sits in the middle of the finest freshwater fishery in North America. The Kanektok, Goodnews, Togiak, Agulowak, and Agulukpak rivers are as productive as ever, holding Chinook (king), sockeye, chum, pink, coho, Dolly Varden, arctic char, arctic grayling, rainbow trout, and northern pike throughout the season. The crew has guarded access for decades so guests can still fish legendary systems with little pressure.
Bristol Bay offers variety in species and in methods. Dry flies, nymphs, streamers, and mice all get their moments. Guests who want the complete fly-out experience can string together sight-fishing on the Agulowak, a tundra-creek mouse session on the Agulukpak, and a swing day for kings on the Togiak–all in the same week.
How the Program Flows
Each night guests sit with their guides to map the following day. Jet boats are staged on multiple rivers so flights are quick and anglers slide straight into prime water. On un-flyable days the Agulowak, a short boat ride from the dock, keeps rods bent with rainbows, grayling, char, Dolly Varden, and sockeye. Dry-fly days, nymphing setups, and streamer sessions are all on the table depending on weather and the run timing.
Much of the fishing water is reachable only by floatplane, and Bristol Bay Lodge keeps its DeHavilland Beaver fleet in top condition. Three career pilots, many with more than three decades of Alaska airtime, handle the summer schedule and have flown for the lodge for years.
Jet Boats, Guides & Staff
Guides rotate between float trips, lake outlets, coastal rivers, and overnight camps so they always know where fish are staging. Jet boats positioned on different rivers ensure fast access once planes land. The team prides itself on warm hospitality, polished logistics, and a lifetime of stories about these fisheries.
Outpost Camps & Overnight Adventures
The lodge operates two private outpost camps on exclusive water. Only four guests overnight at a time, sleeping in Weatherport tents with real beds, heaters, and fresh linens. A cook’s tent turns out dinners while two guides stay on site to keep fishing rolling well into the midnight sun. Many guests call this overnight the high point of their trip.
Life Around the Lodge
Bristol Bay Lodge hosts up to 26 guests but limits fishing weeks to about 20 anglers to keep things personal. The lodge itself is stocked with a professional kitchen, dining room, expansive living room and bar wrapped around a see-through fireplace, a library, and a fly-tying bench loaded with local favorites. Decks overlooking Lake Aleknagik become gathering spots for appetizers, cocktails, and the weekly barbecue. A hot tub and sauna wait for tired muscles, and four cedar cabins give family groups private space.
Family & Specialty Weeks
The lodge continues to welcome family sessions, small corporate groups, and multi-generation trips. Summer weeks often see three-generation parties learning to fish together, with rainbows and grayling on dry flies, sockeye by the millions, and Dolly Varden in full color. Special pricing is available for youth accompanying adult anglers during those designated family windows.
Weather & Seasonal Highlights
June brings long, bright days with temperatures in the 60s and early pushes of kings, sockeye, and trophy rainbows. Late July and August typically sit in the mid-50s to mid-60s with long twilight, big sockeye numbers, pink salmon on even years, and Dollies in top form. Expect rain at times–this is coastal Alaska–but the operation is built to keep guests fishing through changing fronts.
Seasonal Fishing Calendar
| Species | Prime Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rainbow trout | June through September | Sight-fish lake outlets, tundra creeks, and swing runs with mice, dries, and streamers. |
| Arctic grayling | June through September | Classic dry-fly days on the Agulowak and upper Wood-Tikchik tributaries. |
| Dolly Varden & char | July through August | Follow salmon runs; prolific bead and leech fishing with kids and first-timers. |
| King salmon | Mid June to early July | Fly-outs to the Kanektok, Goodnews, and Togiak with two-handed and heavy single-hand rods. |
| Sockeye salmon | Late June to mid July | Millions of fish through Wood-Tikchik; meat trips and bead drifts light up. |
| Chum & pink salmon | July through August | High-volume action, ideal for spey practice and fueling trout and char. |
| Coho (silver) salmon | Mid August through September | Explosive topwater and streamer eats on tidewater systems. |
| Northern pike | June through August | Warm sloughs near Lake Aleknagik deliver classic weed-line sight fishing. |
Bristol Bay Lodge 2025 Rates & Booking
| Package | Details | Rate (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 nights / 6 days guided fly fishing | Daily fly-outs included | $8,980 per angler |
| 5 nights / 5 days fishing home waters | Includes one fly-out day | $7,980 per angler |
Contact us for 2026 availability, family-week pricing, or custom itineraries.
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Included
- All meals, lodging, and nightly appetizers at Bristol Bay Lodge.
- Fully guided daily fishing (two anglers per guide) with fly-outs or jet-boat access as scheduled.
- Transportation between Iliamna airport and the lodge.
- Use of lodge waders, boots, rods, reels, and most terminal gear.
- Professional vacuum sealing and boxing for salmon you choose to keep.
Not Included
- Commercial airfare to Anchorage, charter arrangements to Iliamna, or Anchorage hotel stays.
- Terminal tackle you wish to keep (flies, lures, leaders, specialty lines).
- Alaska fishing license and king stamp.
- Alcoholic beverages and gratuities for guides, pilots, and staff.
- Optional trip insurance (strongly recommended).
Deposits & Balance: A 50% deposit confirms space; reservations made more than a year out can be held with $1,000 per person until the standard deposit is due. Balances are payable on arrival by cash, traveler’s checks, or personal check (no credit cards). Because the operating season is short, deposits are non-refundable, but dates can shift within the same year on a space-available basis. Protect your investment with travel insurance; the lodge recommends Squaremouth Travel (800-240-0369).
When everything is fishing well, there are literally too many fishing options. Imagine trying to decide whether to fish for 25 pound pike on the surface, fresh sea lice covered salmon near the coast, hiking small creeks for Arctic Char in the mountain streams, Rainbows and Dollies on the Nushagak, Agulapak, Kvichak, etc, or a mixed bag of Grayling, Lake Trout, and Rainbows on Royal Coachman’s home water. That’s the dilemma guests face each day.
The main lodge houses the kitchen, dining room and lounge, library corner, one guest room with a private bath, and massage room. Comfortable and cozy, this is where you will plan each following days excursions. You and your guides will sit around the fire, and decide what type of fishing you would like to do, and plan the details of tomorrows outing. There is no pre-scheduled fishing program.
Dave Duncan & Sons operates two base camps on the Kanektok; Upper Base Camp and Lower Base Camp. Central to both camps are the spacious kitchen and dining facilities housed in large, free-standing community area tents, which every evening become the center of activity. These contain a complete propane kitchen, dining tables, and a fly-tying bench. Sleeping facilities at both Upper and Lower Base Camps are sturdy, double occupancy 10 X 12 Weather Port System tents with cots and carpeting. The meals served are excellent and come with homemade bread, fresh salads, and large cuts of quality meats. The base camps even have a hot shower facility as well as heated drying tents for waders and wet clothing.
While both camps offer opportunities for all above species, anglers preferring to concentrate on salmon fishing usually choose Lower Base Camp to catch dime-bright salmon fresh from the salt. Fresh run fish are in prime condition and readily take the fly. While kings usually require wet fly, sinking line presentations, other salmon species (silvers in particular) can be teased into surface strikes with patterns like the now famous ‘Wog (Pink Pollywog).
These Alaska adventures are complete wilderness experiences, with no facilities of any kind found along the route. Dave Duncan & Sons has spent years researching and developing specialized camps and boats for comfort and convenience. Only the best inflatable rafts, 16′ Avon Pro’s are used. Each raft features rowing racks, floorboards to stand on, and anchoring capabilities that allow guests to fish any drift in the river. Most of Alaska’s big game and bird species are common in these areas and during the trip it will be possible to see many in their natural habitat.
When it’s time to load the plane and return, the person going home is a different person than the one that came. He has a deeper appreciation and respect for the fishing experience and Alaska’s vast wilderness. Float trips are limited to eight guests, with one guide and two guests per boat.
Timing
Dean River Lodge Package – Our Dean River package is based on 6 days guided fishing and 1 day non-guided. It includes roundtrip flights from Smither to the Dean.
Mission Lodge’s strategic location in the heart of the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska, places it within easy flying distance to the finest fishing waters in the state to fish for sockeyes, chums, kings, pinks or silver salmon, in addition to rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, arctic char, grayling and pike. If you’re looking for the greatest variety, we suggest the late June/July time period, when you can catch sockeyes, chums, pinks (even years) and king salmon in addition to the fresh water species. If you’re interested in silver and pink salmon (in addition to the fresh water species), we recommend August and the first two weeks of September. If your primary interest is rainbow trout and char, we recommend early June, the middle of the season (mid-July through August) and the month of September.
Like many Alaska fly-out fishing lodges, Enchanted Lake Lodge lays in dramatic contrast to the rugged landscape in which it was built. Enchanted Lake Lodge provides the luxury and service one would expect from any world-class resort.
An experienced, professional staff is always on call to cater to each guests expectations and preferences. Enchanted Lake Lodge makes guest’s comfort, fishing and safety their highest priorities.
There is also a wader-drying room, full bar, game room, chef’s kitchen and dining room overlooking the Naknek River. There are also two disconnected double-occupancy cabins with private baths. While the lodge can comfortably accommodate 18 guests, they normally take a maximum of 14 guests at a time (private groups of up to 16 can book the entire lodge by special request).
