Bristol Bay Watershed
Angler’s Alibi is located in the heart of breathtaking Bristol Bay on the Alagnak River - one of the 5 major rivers that create this world renowned fishery. It is here in Bristol Bay (about 280 miles south of Anchorage and at the top of the Aleutian island chain), where all 5 species of Pacific salmon and rainbow trout numbers reside and FAR outnumber any other region in the state! Also noteworthy is that where we are located on the Alagnak River, we not only have the most rainbow trout - but also the LARGEST rainbow trout in this region across the entire state! This eastern side of Bristol Bay also has huge freshwater lakes like Lake Illiamna, Kukaklek, Nonvianuk, and Naknek. It is these ultra-fertile lakes that facilitate the rapid growth of behemoth trout. While sockeye salmon are their main food source while growing, the 4 other salmon species also play a roll in creating the huge biomass of protein to sustain such large quantities and size of these trout. We have 2 power drifter jet boats positioned on the famous Kvichak and Naknek Rivers taking advantage of the peak times each season to catch one of these over 30" rainbow trout that put Bristol Bay on the map! This greatly improves our fly-out program with enhanced locations that do not require a lot of hiking to get into prime trout fishing at its peak.
Switching gears, the Alagnak River also has what biologist claim is the largest diversity of salmon that use any river system and major lakes. Above the Nonvianuk and Kukaklek lakes are an array of mountain streams and creeks that play host to millions of spawning sockeye salmon each summer. It is here in theses rivers that thousands of rainbow trout gorge on the eggs and carcasses of the dying salmon. The Alagnak River also has its own resident population of rainbow trout that depend on the return of the king, chum, pink, and silver salmon each year to provide their food source. The incredible number of returning salmon coupled with so many rainbow trout makes the Alagnak River system the undisputed gem of the Bristol Bay region. Better yet, this rich environment is spread out over 60 miles of fishable water until it finally reaches a fork and splits into the Kukaklek and Nonvianuk rivers.
The diversity of fish, landscape, and fauna along the Alagnak River system provides a lot more than just salmon, trout, char, and grayling. The Alagnak river is home to such a wide array of brown bears, moose, eagles, waterfowl, and a plethora of birds - that every year it draws wildlife viewers and photographers from all over the world!
We also fish every tributary to the Alagnak River system including the fabled Moraine Creek, Kulik River, Battle River, Little Ku, just to name a few via a fly-out experience with Angler's Alibi.
Alagnak River, the home river
The Alagnak River is one of the 5 major rivers that make up Bristol Bay. It has one of the largest and most diverse systems in the state and supports the highest combined numbers of salmon and trout of any of the major drainages. Angler's Alibi lodge is located just 6 miles up river from where the Alagnak River meets the Bristol Bay. Our location is right in the center of the tidewater which dictates that you can really only fish from mile marker 3 and upstream due to the sandy, murky bottom which severely limits visibility downstream. Our tides come twice daily and can affect the river as high as mile marker 9 in the river. Milemarker 6 is the ideal location to target salmon daily and is exactly where Anglers Alibi is located! While we can focus on are fresh, bright, chrome salmon, we typically send at least one boat daily upriver 20 miles or so to target trout, grayling, and char in skinnier water, an area called “the braids”. Another option is to fly out to nearby Katmai National Park and traget trout in one of the many rivers with a short floatplane ride. This location makes it one of the best home bases for fly out fishing and many more options outside the park. If the weather is not conducive to flying, we can stay home and fish the home waters with a short 5 minute boat ride from the dock. This premium location is hard to beat in the fly-out lodge industry with incredible fishing options very close to the lodge!
With a short boat ride to target fresh sea-run salmon, we fish the waters right in front of camp, rarely traveling more than 3 miles downstream or upriver so fishing time is maximized! There are times when we may go higher in the river system to target migrating salmon, but most of our fishing for salmon is very close to the lodge. This proximity makes it easy to head back for a hot lunch and/or the use of one our flush toilets. As in real estate, location is everything, and we know we have the best location on the Alagnak river for both salmon and trout!
With a short boat ride to target fresh sea-run salmon, we fish the waters right in front of camp, rarely traveling more than 3 miles downstream or upriver so fishing time is maximized! There are times when we may go higher in the river system to target migrating salmon, but most of our fishing for salmon is very close to the lodge. This proximity makes it easy to head back for a hot lunch and/or the use of one our flush toilets. As in real estate, location is everything, and we know we have the best location on the Alagnak river for both salmon and trout!
