Most guests book a trip at Crystal Creek Lodge because they appreciate the exceptional accommodations, while our remote camps give guests the opportunity to experience wilderness beauty and quiet with ease and while having basic comforts.
Rainbow Trout
The Rainbow Trout of Alaska are fish of legend. The Naknek River and streams of the surrounding Katmai National Park region offer some of the finest Rainbow Trout fishing in the world. Crystal Creek Lodge is on the Naknek River and very close to other famous rivers and streams of Katmai. Accordingly, many of Crystal Creek Lodges’ guests love the pursuit of Rainbow Trout and much of the time do so while walk-wade fly-fishing. Most rivers and streams fished are clear-flowing and gravel-bottomed, and are of a size easily wadeable.
Char
Widely represented through the Bristol Bay region, the chars have proven a beloved quarry of Crystal Creek anglers. Dolly Varden char and Arctic Char are common in the sub-arctic waters accessible from the lodge, and CCL anglers routinely find them in remarkable number. 100-fish days are not uncommon on some of our preferred streams, and anglers can catch dozens of char in the 18-28 inch range during a single day of fishing. But char afford our guests much more than simply a high-volume angling opportunity; they are emblematic of the far north, and a defining piece of the Alaska fishing experience.
King Salmon
Within the treasure trove of species that define the Alaskan fishery, the Chinook Salmon or King as they are known in Alaska, is the crown jewel. These majestic fish, returning each year to the heart of their spawning grounds in the Bristol Bay region, cruise the deep channels of the Naknek and Nushagak Rivers as a hidden ransom of silver. In fact, the King Salmon run on the Nushagak, a major river only 35 miles west of Crystal Creek Lodge, is host to the largest wild King Salmon run remaining in the world, with an annual average of 100,000 fish in that river alone.
Five Species of Pacific Salmon run the local rivers by the millions and they are thus available in prolific numbers. One or two species of salmon are available in peak configuration during most weeks of the season (see Yantarni Salmon Camp for September salmon fishing). Some weeks in July offer four or all five species of salmon to be caught. A reasonable expectation for salmon availability can be made as follows:
- Mid-to-late June: King and Chum Salmon. Catch, keep, take fish home possible.
- Late June to mid-July: King, Chum and Sockeye Salmon. Catch, keep, take fish home possible.
- Mid-to-late July: King, Chum and Pink Salmon. Catch, keep, take fish home possible
- August: Silver and Pink Salmon. Catch, keep, take fish home possible.
- September: Silver Salmon available weather dependent due to need to fly east through the Alaska Peninsula Mountains to access streams in peak of salmon run. Catch and release only (During the month of September we have excellent Silver Salmon fishing at our Yantarni Salmon Camp and select streams that are dependent upon good weather for access. It is difficult to transport fresh caught salmon from the streams to our dock due to the need to access Yantarni by a wheeled airplane with limited cargo area or the need to hike into bear populated streams accessible by float planes.) September guests are given 15 lbs. of Sockeye Salmon fillets at no extra cost.
Remote Camps
Imagine casting dry flies to rising Grayling and into the shimmer of the midnight sunset. Imagine a peaceful morning of sipping coffee while listening to the ocean’s roar and then casting to dime-bright Silver Salmon, full of rod-bending power. Ahh, the stories you’ll have to tell when you return home. Crystal Creek Lodge offers three exclusive options for your next Alaskan adventure. Set between snow peaked mountains, boreal forests, vast tundra and the sea, our remote bush camps offer unique opportunities to experience intimate fishing in the untouched wilderness of Alaska. So, if you love the outdoors and the feeling of being closer to nature, then let us know how we can fit a remote camp into your schedule.
Guests may choose to experience one of three remote camp destinations during their visit. NOTE: visits to these camps are by advance guest request only and should be considered only by those who desire a hardy wilderness experience and can bear leaving the luxury of the lodge for a night. All camps have BASIC comforts. Yantarni has the better accommodations of the three. Camps are limited to four persons per destination per night and by first request basis.
Most guests book a trip at Crystal Creek Lodge because, among many reasons, they appreciate the exceptional accommodations provided there. Our remote camps give guests the opportunity to experience wilderness beauty and quiet with ease and while having basic comforts.
Most rivers and streams fished are clear-flowing and gravel-bottomed, and are of a size easily wadeable.
