Great Chinook Lodge

Guests can fish saltwater or freshwater. For Saltwater fishing, there are Pacific Halibut, King Salmon, and Coho Salmon, Ling Cod, and Rockfish. For freshwater fish, Sockeye, Coho, Steelhead and Dolly Varden are all viable targets for an afternoon of fishing. If you are a fly fishermen, you will need to bring your own gear. The lodge provides spin caster equipment for guests.

Gustavus is known to be Trophy Halibut country. The largest Halibut caught by a sports fisherman was 459 pounds. That is a lot of fish to battle, and people battle trophy sized Halibut here every month. Halibut fishing is usually by setting anchor and either chumming or fishing deep. These are bottom dwellers and if you want the big ones you have to go deep. A good tip for chumming for Halibut is to use Salmon Heads. They are irresistible to Halibut.

Salmon Fishing is awesome here. All five species of Pacific Salmon are available in the local waters, and the lodge primarily targets Chinook and Coho. Chinook or King Salmon are the biggest of the five and the record for an Alaska caught King Salmon is 126 pounds. Expect to find Chinook Salmon in the 20-50 pound range with an occasional 70 plus pound fish on the line. The plus about fishing for Salmon in the Ocean is that the fish are healthy and strong. Once they hit the rivers, they start to deteriorate as their body morphs into spawning mode. The ocean salmon are the freshest. The Silver Salmon or Coho Salmon are smaller in the 10-12 pound range, and they offer a tremendous sport. These are true fighters, and they will dazzle and amaze you with their aerobatics, and shenanigans.

The Rockfish and Ling Cod scene is good too. If you fly fish, consider trying your hand at fly fishing for Salmon, Ling Cod, and Rock Fish. The experience is amazing, but it requires a sinking fly. Spin Casting is also an excellent choice for all of these fish.