Bristol Bay is famous worldwide for its abundant commercial salmon fisheries as well as its sal-mon sport fishing. Bristol is also Alaska’s only “Trophy Rainbow Trout” fishing location. Here, in clear water surrounded by awe-inspiring natural scenery, you can fish for sockeye, coho, pink, chum, and Chinook trout.
Located between the Alaska Peninsula and the Bering Sea, Bristol Bay and several rivers that flow into its waters are a mecca for fly fishing enthusiasts. 46% of the world’s wild Sockeye salmon are in Bristol Bay and in the Nushagak and Kvichak River watersheds.
Several lodges cater to anglers in the area, and charter boats can take you to the best waters by plane or jet boat. From mid-June to mid-July, anglers come for prized King Salmon. Chum arrives earlier, and silver salmon migrate from July into the fall. While trout are abundant, check with the locals to see if you’ll need to catch and release or can ship your catch back home.
Bristol Bay is close to Wood-Tikchik State Park, the largest state park in the United States, with a dozen lakes and rivers. Katmai National Park and Preserve is also nearby with mountains, forests, and wildlife.