Unalakleet River Lodge

There are many great fishing rivers in Alaska, but the Unalakleet River is perhaps the best of them all. Usually, a river has a huge run of one or two types of salmon, but the Unalakleet River has a huge run of Kings, Silvers, Chum, and Pinks Salmon. Also, there are large populations of Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and Grayling. This is a fishing haven. The river offers gentle sway back and riffles with shallow water that is perfect for wading.

The Kings show up around the first week of June and usually stay until the first week of July. The common king weighs between 18-25 pounds with a good potential for landing a 50 plus pound fish. The Chum and if it is an even-numbered year, the Pink Salmon show up about mid-June. The Chum stay through mid-August and the Pink stay until the first week of August. The Silver, or Coho Salmon, Being showing up in late June and early July. The Silver Salmon peak about the end of the first week of August, but they stay through September. If you like to fish for Arctic Char, they show up mid-June, peak at the end of July and are gone by the start of September. The Dolly Varden and Arctic Grayling are around all season long from the beginning to June through the end of September.

The Chum Salmon weight in from 7-14 pounds with a trophy in the high teens to 20-pound range. The Pink Salmon show up in droves, and it is not difficult to have a 100-fish day when the Pinks are in the water. The Silver Salmon weigh around 10-12 pounds with a trophy hitting the 15-pound mark. Dolly Varden average 3-5 pounds with a 10-pound fishing being remarkable. The Arctic Grayling reach 20-24 inches and are brilliant to target. If you are not familiar with Dolly Varden, you should get to know them. They are very similar to Rainbow Trout, both in the tenaciousness and their fight.