Fishing Seasons

Early season is a great time at RCL; the trout are hungry after a long winter under the ice, and are absolute suckers for streamers. As well, a few of the streams they fish will be good for mousing, which has to be one of the most exciting methods ever to hook Alaska ‘bows. This is one of the best times of the season for grayling on dry flies, as most of the insect hatches occur in the brief, warm early summer days. The sea run dollies will begin showing up in the streams connecting the lake system, and the guides can fly you to a special little lake they know of for oversized Arctic char. Finally, for anyone interested in hooking some big northern pike on surface (or near surface) patterns, the lodge has some fun backwaters on which to do this…and it’s a blast!

As the summer matures, the various salmon species make an appearance. First to arrive are the kings and chums, and the lodge’s private permit stream gets plenty of both, making for some memorable days with a 9 weight. Next comes the sockeyes and pinks, and while many anglers don’t actually fish for these salmon, the amount of eggs they lay and the poundage of decomposing flesh their post-spawn carcasses provide the indigenous trout is unbelievable. Almost overnight the area’s leopard trout put on prodigious weight, some even doubling in size! It is a time of plenty, and fly fishers should plan on dead drifting egg patterns, primarily, and catching large numbers of good-sized rainbows, dollies, and grayling.

August gives way to the crisp nights and cool days of September, and the rainbows continue to gorge and fatten on drifting chunks of yesterday’s salmon. This is the number one time of the year for hunting trophy trout, with rivers like the Kvichak and the Nuyakuk offering daily opportunities for the fish of a lifetime. Mid-August through much of September also finds a heavy run of silver salmon in the lodge’s permit river – these chrome rockets will often take surface poppers, and are a handful on an 8 weight, fresh from the ocean.