Painter Creek Lodge

The fishing here is diverse. Arctic Char is numerous and offers excitement. During the mid summer months the King Salmon are in the water. The Alaska record for King Salmon is 126 pounds. You have a choice of waters from rivers with fast moving water and rocky bottoms to the smaller, quieter clear water creeks that are well populated with Artic Char, Dolly Varden, Silver Salmon and Chum Salmon. Due to the location, you are fishing in what is virtually a private reserve. The lodge offers fly-out fishing to nearby locations for an expanded list of trophy fish, including rainbows.

Aptly named because of its insanely intense, beautiful setting the lodge was built in 1983 and sits about 450 miles to the southwest of Anchorage. The nearest town is 100 miles away, and the lodge is accessible by water or plane. It has its own 4000' runway. The lodge is rustically comfortable and offers plenty to do during down times. The fishing is rich here so don't expect a lot of downtimes. The living room is comfortable, and the fly-tying table is well stocked. The food is homemade and outstanding. Overall the lodge is unpretentious, and a casual atmosphere is welcoming. There is plenty of opportunity for wildlife viewing, and if you are extremely lucky, you will get a peak of the Chiginagak Volcano's caldera... its crater.

One of the great advantages of lodges like the Painter Creek Lodge is the privacy. Even in the fly-out zones you may encounter other fisherman or be visiting a spot that other fishermen have just recently fished. In the crystal clear waters around the lodge, you get the solitude of finding the fish focus. It is just you, your guide and the fish. That kind of setting is amazing. You do not have to stand elbow to elbow with other fishermen. Because the local fishery is so balanced, the fish populations are high. With all the opportunity, you have the luxury of learning new ways to fish and mastering new species of fish. Dolly Varden, for example, are large relatives of salmon. You won't find them in very many places around the world. Most fishermen also do not have much of an opportunity to fly fish for hundred pound King Salmon. That solitude is what makes the Painter Creek Lodge such an outstanding place to stay and fish.