October Fishing in Alaska
What to Expect in October
We are thankful to have one of the longest seasons in our area, but it comes to an end after the third week of October.
Fishing the waters of Bristol Bay in October is not for the faint of heart. It can be windy, rainy, and even cold. Beautiful fall colors decorate the landscape and the low sun angle bathes the rivers and tundra with a golden hue. The reasons to visit Bristol Bay in October is to experience a time that is as unique as the place. The fish at this time of year are huge, enjoying their final meals of the season, before the cold of Winter.
The weather isn’t always bad though, and we often have sunny conditions, with cold mornings and warm afternoons. As long as you dress accordingly, we feel confident the fish will make you forget your hands are a little cold. And no more bugs!
Read our 'Fall Fishing in Bristol Bay' blog to learn more.
Typical Day
A typical day starts between 7-9 AM with a delicious breakfast to order, as well as coffee, tea, and juice. Lunches are prepared daily using fresh ingredients from local produce and greens from the garden, as well as homemade bread baked daily and sliced fresh. You’ll meet your guides at the boats or at the plane between 8-9 am. Based on the unique daily adventure, you’ll be back to the lodge around 5 pm. Appetizers are at 6:30 pm, and dinner is served at 7 pm.
Fishing
We fish a handful of locations in October, as most of the small stream fishing has slowed down by now. Waters like the Kulik River, Kvichak River, Naknek River, Brooks River and Ugashik are on our weekly schedule, though there are others that fish in October as well.
On the Naknek and Kvichak, we spend our time swinging flies with single hand and spey rods for trophy rainbow trout. In each of these destinations, anglers have a legitimate shot at a fish of a lifetime. The other streams will still have spawning sockeye, and therefore hungry fish downstream of them feasting on eggs. As the egg numbers begin to thin out, we switch from egg patterns to flesh flies and other streamers. And just like September, October is when we see the huge lake-run arctic char. Artic Char in October are typically wearing their spawning colors, bright oranges like you’ve never seen.
In October, we slow down a little bit. We wait for the sun to come up, take more breaks, make more shoreline fires, and wait for the first snow the powder the hills. While most operations are closing down and their teams are ready to go home, our team is energized as ever. Give October a try and see why we love it so much.
Guides
Our guides are experienced, knowledgeable and focused on safety. We are all patient teachers who love to share Bristol Bay with our guests and meet them at their ability. Click here to meet our guiding team!
Two anglers per guide. We rotate boat partners and guides daily. Each evening guests discuss our upcoming adventure with their guide. On the Nushagak River we may put four anglers per guide in one large boat to increase the chances of hookups-the more lines in the water the better!
Target Species
Target species in October include:
- Trophy Rainbow Trout
- Trophy Arctic Char
- Grayling
- Dolly Varden
- Northern Pike
Getting Here
Your Alaska adventure starts when flying from Anchorage to King Salmon. Once in King Salmon, one of our trusted staff will drive you to the beautiful Lodge at 58 North.
