Blog

The fall is always a special time of the year at Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge. The brisk mornings bring new energy. The salmon fishing is over, and our focus turns to trophy rainbow trout and char. An explosion of autumn colors paint the landscape, and the fattened bears make the final push before the long winter’s sleep. There is no time… Read More

The amount of work and preparation that it takes to open at Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge each season is remarkable and can easily be overlooked by the casual guest. Every nail, every fly, every food item is shipped by air from Anchorage to the village of Igiugig, which is 4 miles upriver from the lodge. Then, the items are transported by… Read More

At the end of each season we always feel a sense of accomplishment.  This year that feeling was magnified tremendously.  We at Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge want to thank all of the clients that visited us during these trying times in the summer of 2020.  We made the choice to open up and operate starting in late June. With a lot… Read More

We are excited to share with you our latest short film produced with Fly Out Media – Hold the Line. This film is not just about amazing fishing. It is also about our intimate and humble connection to the world’s greatest salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Native Alaskans have lived off the salmon resource here for thousands of years…. Read More

The bounty of Bristol Bay is difficult to comprehend, even for those of us who have lived and worked in the region for decades. For people who haven’t visited Bristol Bay, it’s impossible to fully understand the importance of the salmon resource to the region. At Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge, we have a responsibility to the land, the people, and the… Read More

These are no ordinary rainbows! In this interview with veteran guide Jeff Pfaender, he chats about his experience with these ‘trout of steel’ from the Kvichak River.

Location, location, location. Location is the number 1 factor for real estate. The same is true for a remote Alaska fishing lodge. In the video above, Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge owner Brian Kraft talks about the strategic location of the lodge and how it pertains to the fishing program.

A 2-minute video showcasing the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge Nushagak King Camp. We stage our guides, boats and equipment out of this spike camp exclusively for our guests. We know what a gift it is to be located so close to the world’s largest King Salmon run. We make sure that our anglers can take full advantage of this fact with… Read More

1. Be mindful of hook size. Some mouse patterns employ very large size 2 and 4 gap hooks with Northern Pike or larger game fish in mind. With a hook that size, it can be fatal for trout. A smaller hook accommodates a smaller mouse pattern. Which is an appropriate imitation for the actual size rodents that trout eat. In… Read More

Orvis Safe Passage® Carry It All ($179) – This is the ultimate piece of luggage for the serious fly fisher who comes prepared. If your loved one travels with 5-6 rods, reels, various fly lines, fly boxes, tools, and other essentials this is a fantastic gift. From saltwater exploration to luxury Alaska lodge, this “carry it all” case is the… Read More

Don’t touch the reel! Most anglers are not used to the power that come with our Kvichak Rainbow Trout. And, the tendency is to try and stop these runaway freight trains on their initial runs by palming or grabbing the reel. This is usually a recipe for disaster for both the prospect of landing the fish and your knuckles. Let… Read More

After wrapping up the 20th season at Alaska’s Sportsman’s Lodge, Brian Kraft reflects on the lodge’s beginnings and the many people that made ASL what it is today.

Katmai National Park plays host to one of the largest concentrations of brown bears on planet Earth. All the footage in this short was filmed in one day on Katmai’s Morraine Creek. Bear viewing is certainly part of the Alaska experience alongside our diverse fishing program. Contact us and learn more about what we do at Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge.

The 2017 sockeye salmon run in Bristol Bay is one for the record books. Alaska Department of Fish and Game is reporting a total run of almost 59 million fish. That number puts 2017 in the top five since managers began keeping track in 1952. With that, literally millions of sockeye salmon swam by our lodge here on the Kvichak… Read More

Take a a visual tour of our lodge and cabin accommodations located on the Kvichak River in Alaska. We offer incredible sport fishing as well unmatched comfort in our rustic wilderness setting. Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge boasts a remote locations for a private fishing experience. Our 5 star lodge offers the best in accommodations, service, and location. Book your experience today.

The Iliamna Lake Monster (commonly referred to as Illie) is a legend well known to the villages surrounding Lake Iliamna (Alaska’s largest lake). The tales describe a very large fish that roves the waters of Lake Iliamna. The supposed monster is said to be anywhere between 10 and 30 feet. There is currently no hard evidence proving the existence of… Read More

Time-lapse video of the morning action and tide going out at our King Salmon Camp on the Nushagak River.

Historic DC-3 flies Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge Guests At Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge, we work with Trans Northern Aviation and their fleet of historic Super DC-3 airplanes to transport our guests and supplies from Anchorage to our remote location on the Kvichak River. All our packages include your private charter flight from Anchorage to the lodge and back, allowing us to control… Read More

Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge Fish Measuring Boxes Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge is located in one of the very best rainbow trout regions in the world. As a result, we are impassioned to take care of this amazing resource. Being in a trophy rainbow trout country, many of our guests are interested in having their trout measured for length (30-inches is the trophy standard at… Read More

We use three De Havilland Beavers and a Cessna 185 to access a few dozen different fisheries throughout Katmai National Park and the greater Bristol Bay region. Our airplanes give us the ultimate flexibility and freedom to access the best fishing in Alaska. This fun short shows our fleet in action. Watch in HD – comment, share and enjoy!

We are lucky to call the Kvichak River our home river. It also happens to be the epicenter of some of the best trout fishing in the world. This short film gives a small look at the fierce trout of the Kvichak River and Lake Iliamna system. If you are looking to fish the hottest rainbows on planet Earth, contact us.

From Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge Get a glimpse of what a day on Morraine Creek in Katmai National Park is like – fishing for trout and watching the amazing brown bears. We use small inflatable rafts to navigate the river and access various fishing spots. This particular fishery plays host to every size class of Rainbow Trout up to 28-inches. There… Read More

Video of the Week UAVs (Drones) give us a new perspective on our amazing fishing experiences here in Alaska. Get an aerial look at Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge and our beautiful surroundings in this short video. As always, fly drones responsibly.

From Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge Not only are we located on a world renowned fishery in the Kvichak River. We also offer a number of different fly out fishing experiences with the use of our float planes. This video gives you a glimpse of some July fishing on a couple walk and wade streams that are a short flight from the lodge…. Read More

Video of the Week At Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge, we have dozens of fly out locations that we fish. We can offer incredible variety for your Alaska fishing vacation. This video is sneak peak of what a day on the Alaska coast fishing for silver salmon is like. WATCH MORE ALASKA SPORTSMAN’S LODGE VIDEOS  

Film by Jason Ching Flying high above Lake Iliamna and the surrounding area, this film shows the beauty of the region and the amazing sockeye run that runs right past Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge. The Lake Iliamna fishery is one-of-a-kind, with Salmon runs in the millions and Rainbow Trout growing to legendary size.

From Rio Products You definitely don’t need to know how to double haul to fish successfully with us in Alaska. That is for sure. But, for those of you who have always wanted to learn to double haul or improve your double haul casting technique, here is an informative video from Rio Products to help you practice. Our fishing season… Read More

Wild Ark ambassador Mick Fanning joins a Wild Ark trip to Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge in remote Southwest Alaska to discover the world’s largest wild salmon fishery under threat from Pebble Mine. Wild Ark’s mission is to secure parts of identified green belts around the world to protect the rich biodiversity of these areas as a way of conserving wildlife, while creating research… Read More

Originally published in the Alaska Dispatch News By Brian Kraft Backers of the Pebble mine seem to think that the recent election grants them a green light to proceed with a mine that risks American jobs and Alaska’s economy. Reality says otherwise: Opposition to the Pebble mine has never been greater or more widespread. Alaskans and hundreds of thousands of… Read More