Our 2020 fishing season on Alaska’s Naknek River was one of the best in decades. Many of our long-time clients summed it up best, in their simple words: “This is just like the good old days!”
The good old days of fishing on the Naknek River meant a lot of fish and very few people. Sadly, many of the large fishing lodges around King Salmon, Alaska were forced to close their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since their clientele was largely international-based. Here, at Rainbow Bend Lodges, situated on the banks of the beautiful Naknek River, we didn’t miss a day of the 2020 fishing season, thanks to the cooperative efforts of many people.
The season started off with a bang, seeing some great trophy rainbow trout being caught in late spring and the early weeks of summer. Follow that with one of the best sockeye salmon runs in the history of the Naknek River, and throughout many rivers in Bristol Bay, and before we knew it, we were at the mid-point of our season.
Between red salmon trips and flyouts for Arctic grayling and Arctic char, there were also brown bear viewing adventures that were unmatched. We see brown bears along many of the rivers and streams we fish, and saw a record number of brown bears near our lodge and while fishing on the Naknek River. A high number of Alaska brown bears were visible this year thanks to the record number of sockeye salmon making their way into the rivers, but also because there was so little fishing pressure by anglers. There were many days, even on the world-class Naknek River, where we didn’t see another boat or angler. It’s these solitary moments that take the experience of fishing in remote Alaska to a different level.Our king salmon and coho salmon numbers were lower than in past years on the Naknek River. But, we found silver salmon in tributaries not far from our lodge, and we also did multiple flyouts each week to remote waters where it was just us, battling high numbers of coho on both flyfishing gear and traditional tackle. It was a delight for many anglers, as no one tires of flying into remote Alaska and experiencing what that’s all about.
As the summer drew to a close, our trophy fishing action escalated. Flyouts to remote streams saw us catching incredibly stunning, large grayling and char. But it was the end of the season, in mid-September, that could have been the highlight of it all, for this marked the best trophy rainbow trout fishing we’ve ever seen on the Naknek River, with many trout being released that stretched the tape beyond the magic 30-inch mark. Some trophy rainbow trout even eclipsed 35-inches.
For us at Rainbow Bend Lodges, the 2020 season was epic. Solitude, lots of fish, and big fish, combined with a blessed mix of clients who left as friends, all came together in the right place at the right time to provide one of the best, if not the best, fishing season ever, and for that we are eternally grateful.