Historic Sockeye Salmon Run in Bristol Bay

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 River. Those salmon are destined to spawn in either the Kvichak River itself or one of the many tributaries that feed Lake Iliamna. This immense biomass will feed everything in the ecosystem from the trees and plants that line Iliamna’s waterways, to the birds, bears and other animals that inhabit this one-of-a-kind ecosystem. And the good news for Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge guests is that same salmon-based bio mass also feeds our legendary Rainbows, Grayling, and Dolly Varden Char.