Fishing the Kvichak River - Fishing Overview & Top Rated Fishing Lodges

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The Kvichak River is located in the Bristol Bay Watershed and stretches some 50 miles from lake Iliamna to its mouth in Bristol Bay. Located 250 miles southwest of Anchorage, the river is home to millions of Salmon, Trophy Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, Dolly Varden, Arctic Char, Northern Pike, and five species of Pacific Salmon.

The Kvichak River sits northwest of Katmai National Park & Preserve. It is the prolific runs of Salmon, which return by the millions each year, that draw people to this river. It is the fantastic quality of Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Arctic Char, Arctic Grayling, and Northern Pike, which brings these visitors back again. Much of the land is owned by the natives and the Federal Government, with a few areas that are owned by the State.

The primary reason to come to the river is to fish. There is not a lot of infrastructure to support the wayward traveler. Some fantastic fishing lodges sit along the banks of the river and two tiny native towns - Igiugig with 54 people, and Levelock with 69 people - both with State-run gravel airports. Getting here is generally by floatplane, and the trip from Anchorage is about 250 miles. Bleak as it sounds, the area is beautiful, and the river is pristine. It is a fishing haven with a focus on Trophy Rainbow Trout, Sockeye Salmon & Arctic Grayling. The area is one of the most popular places to fish. The number of anglers has increased in number from about 1300 in 1985 to around 11,000 in 2018. Those numbers illustrate just how famous the Kvichak River is for fishing.

Fishing the Kvichak River

The local area is supported by three amazing rivers - the Kvichak River, Alagnak River, and the Naknek River, and each is a powerhouse for fishing. The Kvichak is perhaps the trophy Rainbow Trout River with the perks of having access to incredible runs of wild Pacific Salmon.

The river itself is ideal. Its current is strong, and the water is crystal clear. The uniform gravel bottom means fewer snags and low risk of losing fish due to obstacles in the river. Because most of the lodges or camps sit right on the river, there is an almost endless opportunity to fish. The guides take you to the big pockets of fish, but every Salmon that swims to Lake Iliamna must swim past the lodge. With summer days nearly 24-hours, you can fish until you drop.

The season begins early as the ice breaks in late May, which is the best time to fish for Trophy Rainbow Trout. They are hungry, and King Salmon have not yet entered the river. Rainbow are voracious eaters of King Salmon Roe. Without the presence of the Kings, the Rainbows are actively looking for food. The first part of June is the best time to target Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, and Northern Pike. Expect Rainbows in the 22”-26” range with the opportunity to hit the 30” range. Mid-June through the end of July, the focus is on King Salmon, and that is the best time to visit the Kvichak River. By the end of June and through the end of July, the millions of Sockeye Salmon appear. In some spots of the river, there have been 30,000 Sockeye swimming past in an hour. That is how significant the runs of Salmon are here, especially for the Sockeye. The Beginning of August is the time to target the Silver Salmon, Chum Salmon, and Pink Salmon. The Pink Salmon show up only in even-numbered years. If you have not fished for Chum Salmon, you are missing out on some serious sports fishing. They are bigger than all of the other Salmon except for the Kings. They fight like the Silver Salmon do, and provide a thrilling battle.

Rainbow Trout is strictly a catch-and-release species, which is part of the reason there are so many trophy trout in the Kvichak River. Trophy Rainbows in Alaska are generally considered anything in the 26 - 30 inch range and up. And the Rainbows here aren't just big they are absolutely beautiful…the vivid colors on a Leopard Rainbow Trout will leave you in awe.

With such a beautiful & remote setting in Southwestern Alaska and miles of incredible fishing to offer the Kvichak River should be near the top of your bucket list if fishing wild Trophy fish is your passion.