Alagnak River

​The Alagnak River ranks as one of the best rivers in Alaska to fish.  Part of what makes this river so amazing is that there are no roads that lead to it, and no cruise ships that can access it via small boats.  The only way to get to the Alagnak River is by float plane. The Alagnak River starts out high in the Katmai range in Southwest Alaska. This area, also called Katmai National Park, is one of the most famous places on earth for anglers. The Alagnak river actually originates from 2 distinct lakes. These 2 lakes, the Nonvianuk and the Kukaklek Lake, both have tributaries that are necessary for the spawning life cycle of sockeye salmon. These tributaries are also noted as having some of the best trophy trout and char fishing in all of Alaska.

​The lakes both have outlet rivers, the Kukaklek River, and Nonvianuk River. These 2 rivers branch together and form the Alagnak River about 20 miles from the lakes. The Kukaklek river is a bit more adventurous for rafters, so it is much less traveled compared to the Nonvianuk river which is much more suitable to easy rafting. The fishing is amazing on both rivers, and even better once it becomes the Alagnak River.

All five species of Pacific salmon spawn in or travel through the Alagnak River every summer, creating one of the most amazing fisheries in the entire state of Alaska. Angler’s Alibi Alaska, a remote Alaska fly fishing lodge located near the mouth of the Alagnak River, experiences some of the best salmon fishing you could ever imagine. There are times that we literally have to stop fishing because our guests arms cannot handle another fish due to fatigue! As far as Alaska fishing lodges go, we are ranked at the top with our customer service and fishing program. This is reflected in not only our testimonials, but also our return rate of guests exceeding 80%.

If fishing the Alagnak River is an on your mind, please give Angler’s Alibi a call to discuss an Alaskan fishing trip of a lifetime!

About the Author

​John Perry grew up in Michigan on an island called Grosse Ile, in the mouth of the Detroit River and Lake Erie. It was here, surrounded by great fishing and waterfowl hunting that John developed a passion for the outdoors. John moved to Colorado to chase trout in the summers and ski patrol in the winters. John had the privilege to start guiding for Angler’s Alibi with his fly fishing mentor TR Rafferty the second year it was in business. He left a head guide job in Colorado to pursue bigger and better fish.