How do I get to Alaska West?
Travel to Alaska West includes 5 main steps.
- Flying to Anchorage, Alaska on any major carrier at least one day prior to your trip.
- Overnight in Anchorage.
- Flying from Anchorage to Bethel on Ravn Dash-8.
- Flying from Bethel to Quinhagak on Ravn C-208 Caravans.
- Traveling by boat from Quinhagak to Alaska West camp location 30 minutes upriver.
For more details on travel to Alaska West, check out our travel page.
What kind of fish will I catch?
During the course of our season, our guests will catch all 5 Pacific salmon found in Alaska. King salmon (Chinook), Silver salmon (Coho), Chum salmon (Dog or Keta), Red salmon (Sockeye) and Pink salmon (Humpy). All runs of Pacific salmon in the Kanektok are prolific and healthy.
You will also catch great numbers of Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden and Grayling.
Do you only allow fly fishing?
No, while most of our guests fish with fly rods, we are very happy to host guests who want to use spinning gear and/or conventional tackle.
What’s the best time to go?
Our season runs from about mid-June through the last week in August. It’s a short season, and we’re only open when the fishing is fantastic to unbelievable. The best time to go just depends on what you want to catch. From mid-June to mid-July, King salmon are the most popular target, but Chum are also around in large numbers (the entire season). The end of June will see the start of the Sockeye run which lasts until the end of July. The second half of July provides a shot at the “Salmon Grand Slam” (all five species, all on flies, in one day), and the most varied Rainbow and Dolly fishing. In August, Silver mania sweeps the Kanektok and the trout just keep getting fatter as fall arrives. Pinks are known to run every year in the Kanektok and can get thick in late July and early August. And lastly the wonderful Grayling can be caught all season long using everything from miniscule dry flies to Mice patterns the size of golf balls!
What if I don’t have all the gear?
Most of our guests bring their gear along, but we’ve got a wide variety of loaner gear – waders, boots, rods, reels and lines – available for guest use at no charge. Just request it when you fill out your Guest Registration Form or contact us directly and we will make sure you have what you need.
Do I have to bring flies?
Most of our guests bring some flies along, but we also provide flies at no charge. If you’re not able to bring any flies, that’s OK, we will hook you up!
What if I haven’t done much fly fishing?
That’s no problem at all. Our guests range from first-time anglers to expert world-travelers. Our guides are extremely patient and love teaching guests of all ability levels. Part of the beauty of fishing at Alaska West is that it’s a very prolific fishery – there are tons of fish in the river, and everybody will catch fish, regardless of skill level.
Do you do any fly-out fishing?
No. Our camp is located where it’s located for a reason … we’re right on top of one of the most productive fisheries in the world. We access the river using jet boats that are parked right at our camp. Average run times to the fishing are 10 to 15 minutes depending on the time of year. If you are really keen on fly-out fishing, you should check out our Rapids Camp Lodge.
