Fishing for King Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and Sockeye Salmon on the Naknek in King Salmon, Alaska

This was an epic experience and trip! It was a fishing trip we will never forget and we still talk about often. We flew into King Salmon, Alaska’s small airport and were greeted by our guides Erik and Brad. They loaded up our bags into the red Suburban and we headed down the road to Blue Fly B&B. We remember them asking us what fish we would like to target the next few days. We just want to catch fish, but we said big Rainbow Trout, King Salmon and Sockeye Salmon. Well, these guys didn’t disappoint!

We didn’t get to fish the first day because our flight got there in the late afternoon. We got everything settled in our rooms and then headed to Eddie’s Fireplace Inn for dinner. The guides let us know what time to be ready in the morning to eat breakfast and then go fishing. I’m not sure we slept that night in anticipation of getting on the Naknek River to fish.

Let’s talk fishing on the Naknek!

The Naknek is a 35-mile river in the Bristol Bay Borough, in King Salmon, Alaska. King Salmon is home to 374 people and several lodges as well as Eddie’s Fireplace Inn and its world-famous potato salad. King Salmon, Alaska is well known for being the home to Katmai National Park and Preserve.

On the first day we fished, we targeted Rainbow Trout. The guides were great and put us on some amazing fish. The largest Rainbow Trout we caught was 26″. We got some great pictures and let them go. The Rainbow Trout in the Naknek River are bright and beautiful. What a thrill!

Note: Rainbow Trout in the Naknek are Catch and Release

Note: Fly on the nose!! This is what happens when you flyfish with a barbed hook in the wind. A quick trip to the Naknek Clinic and we were back on the water catching fish.

The following day we caught our limit of Sockeye Salmon (5 per person). Sockeye Salmon are a blast to catch because when you get one on, you get so excited and you don’t want to lose it. You have to find that balance of reeling and letting line out without losing the fish and snapping the line. They are fast and strong. Plus they are in the swift river so you are fighting the current.

We always took time to back troll for King Salmon in the morning and at the end of the day and…
LOOK AT THESE KING SALMON!!! THIS WAS THE BEST 2 DAYS EVER!! These fish were 28 lbs and 38 lbs. What a fun fight and experience. We were able to get both in the boat on 2 seperate days and get some good pictures. These guides, Erik Peterson and Brad Bonnett were awesome! We brought these Kings home and they made several great meals.

On the last day we fished for Rainbow Trout, King Salmon and Sockeye Salmon. We caught some nice Rainbows, but the Sockeyes were not running, so we decided to catch more Rainbows. This was so much fun and a great experience. These guides worked hard to make sure we caught fish and had fun doing it. The weather was chilly, so we just had to bundle up. When in Alaska, you just have to remember to layer and stay warm. Weather doesn’t keep these guides at the dock. We were there in the middle of July for the Sockeye Salmon run. I highly recommend you visit a lodge in King Salmon, Alaska for an epic fishing experience. There are several lodges and guides services in the area. We stayed and fished at Blue Fly B&B and Guide Service.

Note: You may want to take the time to visit the town of Naknek. It is 15 miles from King Salmon. Naknek is one of the busiest commercial fishing locations in Alaska, where 70% of the worlds wild sockeye salmon are caught. We took a tour with our lodge and it was very interesting to see the commercial side of fishing. We were able to walk the beach because it was low tide.