Panoramic mountain views, beautiful sparkling waters, and incredible wildlife are all parts of what makes Alaska marvelous, but the main attraction tends to be the fishing. People come from all over the world to get the chance to battle the fish in Alaskan waters, like the Yentna River. Northwoods Lodge is a great place to find comfortable lodging, experienced guides, and access to some of the best fishing. They have fishing guides familiar with each fish and can give you great tips and tricks to catch them. Let’s introduce just a few of the many fish you can find while fishing in Alaska.
Rainbow Trout
A popular and possibly the most colorful of fish in the area is the Rainbow Trout. These vibrant fish live about 4 to 6 years in the wild and grow to an average of 20-30 inches long and 8 pounds in weight, but have been known to grow much larger. The Rainbow Trout has also been called the Redbanded Trout for its red coloration running horizontally down their sides. Known for putting up a fun fight for anglers, they make for an exciting catch. They can be found year-round but are most active in late summer while the Salmon are spawning. They love a diet of Salmon eggs so using bait resembling the eggs from the spawning Salmon can help you catch some hungry Rainbow Trout.
Arctic Grayling
Another gorgeous fish native to Alaska waters is the Arctic Grayling. Its iconic sail-like dorsal fin makes it easy to identify, and its varying colors make each fish different and unique. Though
most Arctic Graylings are darker in color, they can have a variety of markings and colors ranging from red, aqua, orange, pink, blue, and even metallic gold and silver. The Arctic Grayling ranges from 13 to 36 inches long and weigh an average of 3 to 5 pounds. The best season to be looking to catch larger sized Arctic Graylings is in the late summer when they tend to migrate after having spent the majority of summer spawning.
King Salmon
The most famous fish in the state of Alaska and most sought after trophy fish is the King Salmon, also known widely as the Chinook Salmon. King Salmon tend to range from 15 to 60 pounds and can be 24 to 36 inches long, but have been found at over 50 inches long and 130 pounds. Even though these fish can be monsters of enormous size, certain techniques will help you reel them in without battling it out too much or breaking your gear. To fish for King Salmon, you will need your regular Alaskan fishing license, along with a King Salmon stamp. May through early July tends to be the best season to go after King Salmon as they begin to spawn towards late summer.
There are many more species of fish swimming in the waters of Fish Lakes Creek and the Yentna River area of Alaska. Book your stay and start planning your trip to Northwoods Lodge for your chance to reel in these fish and claim your trophy catch. The fishing adventure of a lifetime awaits!
As the ice starts to envelope the creek and the cold and darkness begins to set in for the long winter, it’s time to pull out the last remaining boat and settle in until the creek and river are frozen enough to hold the weight of a snowmachine. As for river conditions, this year is anything but normal. The river and creek should have been frozen by now but the late fall and warm weather has made for a more damp than frozen season. Most November’s usually bring snowmachine traffic out for holiday rides and stops for a quick bite and gasoline. On favorable years, we would likely have more than a quarter inch of snow, (our current accumulation) and a frozen drive by snow machine for our annual community (around 20) Thanksgiving dinner. This year it will just be the 8 neighbors on our side of the river, one of which will try and cross the creek with her canoe.
Let’s just hope that the shelf ice on the edges of the creek won’t make it too much of a challenge to get in and out of the canoe, in which case we may have to throw her a rope to assist. It may make for an interesting Thanksgiving story in the years to come.
Winter darkness is setting in, which means we currently have about 8 hours of daylight and are actively losing about 5 minutes a day until December 21; Alaska’s shortest day of the year. We celebrate this day, not because the lack of light, but because it signifies that brighter days are ahead!
Most years around this time, we would be traveling out of state to seek sunshine and sand but this winter, we are currently awaiting the arrival of our newest granddaughter. She is our 4th grandbady and we are so excited to meet her!
With each changing season, we’re thankful for all the experiences living here in rural Alaska. The quiet and solitude out here is incomparable to anywhere else in the world and for that we are grateful. Wishing you a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. 
come out to learn the ropes, and longtime guests celebrate another year with us. Smiles shined bright, and laughter was had by visitors and staff alike all summer long. The 
Fly Fishing With Us
