Alaska West operates our fixed-base tent lodge on the banks of the Kanektok River.
The Kanektok is a fish factory. With runs of all five species of Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and grayling, the river provides a great mix of quantity and variety. Our location on the river, 5.5 miles from its mouth, puts us in a unique position to sample the variety the river has to offer.
Downriver from our camp is the larger water, including the long gravel bars where the kings hold, the deep snaggy channels where the big rainbows lie, the backwaters that load with silvers and the tidewaters full of salmon fresh from the salt. Upriver from our camp, the river makes a transition to smaller water, side channels and tributaries. These sections allow hiking up channels for rainbows, targeting salmon in smaller water, making day-long drifts fishing for “anything” and working extremely productive dolly flats.
Run Timing
Our season is only 10 weeks long, but things change quickly during that period.
From mid-June to mid-July, king salmon are the most popular target, with rainbow fishing picking up in July as well. 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 fishing. During the entire month of August, silver mania sweeps the Kanektok and the trout just keep getting fatter as fall arrives.
Have a look at the links on the left for more information about our fishery, or click here to get in touch!
