Fishing Program

At Rainbow River Lodge each and every angler receives very special personal attention. You can expect the finest of your fly fishing dreams to become reality and return home with the fondest of all fly fishing memories. There are rivers in this part of Alaska where the fish die of old age having never seen a fly, and they will take you there!

Each night the guide assignments will be announced and the guide will get with you and discuss the plan for the next day. The lodge has 6 guides on staff for a max of 12 fishermen and they are proud of their guide team. No young kids here that are just going to take you on a boat ride or a hike.  These are all  professional men who have made guiding their life.  They have multiple seasons of guiding in this area with valuable local knowledge of the fisheries. This guarantees you a great day on the river.

The next morning your wake up call is your favorite hot beverage delivered to your cabin! After getting dressed you can choose a nice hot breakfast, cold cereal , fruit whatever you like.

After breakfast you will be flown out to fish for the day. The guides will have the shore lunches and beverages of your choice. If you are fishing the lower reaches of the Copper River you will jump in a jet boat right at the beach and be on the Copper in just a few minutes. At the end of your fishing day, the planes will pick you up at about 5 pm to return to the lodge for an endless hot shower, delicious appetizers and amazing dinner. Each fishing day will be different.

When is the best fishing? In order to best answer this we need to know what you want to experience in Alaska.  Each of the 5 species of Salmon enter the rivers at different times. Rainbow River Lodge knows how to get you into the best rainbow trout fishing regardless of the month you book. As the food sources change, the guides adapt to make sure you are targeting big fish and being successful! June, July, August and September all offer unique experiences.  Let us help decide which month you would like to fish based on your style. For example, if you like to dry fly fish for big trout, call our travel expert and we tell you when it is best to book a trip.

Best Fly Fishing seasons:

Rainbow Trout Fly Fishing in Alaska

Rainbow Trout in the Iliamna region naturally grow to 18 pounds or larger. Rainbows are caught June through September. Due to the return of millions of sockeye in the month of July, the most productive rainbow trout fishing is during the months of July, August and September. Rainbow River Lodge is located on the Copper River which was just rated in the top 50 best trout streams in the world by Trout Unlimited. If you want to dry fly and streamer fish for big rainbows, June and early July are your ticket.

Arctic Grayling Fly Fishing in Alaska

Grayling Salmon are God’s gift to light tackle fanatics. They are thick in many of the streams and will attack a fly all season long, even in the worst of weather. Most grayling average 10 to 14 inches with trophies measuring 21 inches. Their good reputation comes from their susceptibility to dry flies and the gracefulness in which they take them.  

Arctic Char Fly Fishing in Alaska

Char are commonly associated with the Dolly Varden since they are biologically the same. They average 3 to 5 pounds with the largest of the fish tipping the scales at 15 pounds. Available season long, they are a very hard fighter and one of the most beautiful fish in Alaska.

Chinook (King) Salmon Fly Fishing in Alaska

The largest of the Pacific Salmon, Kings average 20 to 30 pounds with the largest weighing in at 60 pounds. They enter our rivers in early June with fishing peaking from mid-June to the middle of July. Rainbow River Lodge fishes “leased” land on the Nushagak River which holds the largest returning run of Kings in Alaska. Fishing “leased” lands on the “Nush” provides the clients with the BEST King Salmon fly fishing available.

Sockeye (Red) Salmon Fly Fishing in Alaska

The Sockeye salmon enter the Iliamna drainage by the millions in late June and early July. For the first few weeks in fresh water they are considered ‘pound for pound’ to be the hardest fighting salmon and the best tasting! Sockeye Salmon average 6 to 10 pounds with a 15 pound maximum. We will package and freeze for you.

Chum (Dog) Salmon Fly Fishing in Alaska

Chums average 8 to 12 pounds and have a keen appetite for streamer flies and spinners. They don’t have as good as a reputation as the other salmon species when it comes to the dinner table, but on the fly line there is much respect for their fighting endurance. Chum Salmon top the scales at 20 pounds and arrive in July and early August.

Pink (Humpy) Salmon Fly Fishing in Alaska

The smallest of the Pacific Salmon, averaging 3 to 5 pounds. They arrive in mid-July and August. What pink salmon lack in size they make up for in aggressiveness and non-stop action. They are excellent sport on smaller rods.

Silver (Coho) Salmon Fly Fishing in Alaska

Fishing for Silvers is at its best in August and September. Most silver Salmon weigh between 8 and 15 pounds and are very aggressive towards flies and spinners.

Northern Pike Fly Fishing in Alaska

Northerns are the freshwater alligators of Alaska. Their strike is vicious, they are usually big and they will hit anything the moves! Pike are usually caught in the 25 to 40 inch class range. Pike can be found as close as your cabin door and are available all season.

Lake Trout Fly Fishing in Alaska

This is Alaska’s largest freshwater fish, inhabiting large, deep, cold lakes with the best fishing just after ice-out. Lake Trout are not usually a target species but are a welcome surprise when landed. “Lakers” are caught in the outlets and inlets of the lakes near the lodge.