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July on the Alagnak Wild and Scenic River is something that every outdoor lover should experience at least once in their lifetime, whether they are a fisherman or not!
It's like stepping back in time, into a world that hasn't changed since time immemorial.
Salmon run so thick that you feel as if you can walk across the river on them...
Wildlife roam free and undisturbed by modern life...
You step into the river and you sometimes feel as if you are the first person in history to ever explore this wild and pristine landscape!
If you thought our fishing report from June was exciting, let me tell you July has been ON FIRE!!! Read on to discover what we have been up to this past moth at ATA Lodge! We have had a full house all month long, and our guests have been enjoying an incredible taste of the very best of what Alaska has to offer...without the crowds!!
June fishing for big, strong and hard fighting trout was amazing! And the trout fishing remained very good in July as well. BUT.....
Then the Salmon started to move into the river and the fishing has been....Lights Out!!
July is the month that various species of Pacific Salmon start to enter the Wild and Scenic Alagnak River system. While many people may not believe it when they hear it, we actually get in excess of 4 to 6 MILLION salmon that come in to our river from late June through September!
You have to see it to believe it....
So we've included many pictures so you can do just that!
They say that a picture paints a thousand words....so in an attempt to prove the saying; "I have to see it to believe it", we'd like to show you pictorially just what July in Southwest Alaska looks like at ATA Lodge!
We hope you enjoy the show...
As seen in our June Fishing Report, the Sockeye Salmon started coming in a bit earlier this year than has been the case for most of the last decade.
We were actually getting limits of Sockeye Salmon as early as June 26th this year. And when the Sockeye arrive in the river, they bring with them the costal brown bears who feast on them as their main food source after having come out from their long winter's hibernation.
Once the Sockeye started to come in, they arrived in remarkable numbers, with some tides seeing more than 100,000 salmon entering the river at one time!! They can be seen swimming up the margins of the river, nose to tail, 2-10 wide and 2-3 deep, sometimes in an unbroken procession that lasts for hours everyday!!!
And they continued to come in "en force" all month long. Some of our guests were even able to get limits right up the the end of the month if they worked at it, once the main run had started to taper off. But early in July, through about the 22nd of the month, many anglers were able to catch their legal limits in under an hour!!
We are still waiting for final estimates as to the total number of Sockeye that returned to BRISTOL BAY this year, but a couple weeks before the end of the month there had already been over 54 million sockeye estimated.
This meant that any of our guests that wanted to take some Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon home with them to eat all year long were able to do so with no problem at all!
And it doesn't get any fresher than this!
We fillet them, vacuum pack the fillets, freeze them and box them up to take back home with each guest to enjoy and share with friends and family, as they share tales of how amazing the experience was to get to see the "Great Migration" of so many wild, Pacific salmon!
Some of our guests couldn't wait to get home to enjoy their catch, they wanted to taste the delicious fresh caught sockeye right on the banks of the river!
Shore lunches are always very popular. The guides will cook salmon for our guests during the middle of the day so that guests can eat what they have just caught earlier that same day!
As I had already mentioned, our guests are not the only ones that enjoy catching and eating fresh sockeye salmon along the banks of the river....
The bears put on a show for everyone, every day, jumping in and splashing around trying to get lunch for themselves!
These incredible creatures, feast on the salmon they catch, doubling their body mass in just a few short months each summer!
Here's an amazing portrait of one of our bears taken by Chas Glatzer, who is a world renowned wildlife photographer who has hosted photography trips to ATA Lodge every July for the past 10 years in a row!
We'd like to show you a few photos taken by some of our guests and staff of the bears along the banks of the Alagnak Wild and Scenic River where ATA Lodge is located!
It is a real privilege to witness this spectacle every year!
We really enjoy having guests who are photographers come from all over the world to experience the "Bear Show" each season!
And these guys and gals sure do know how to use their camera equipment to get some amazing images!!
We are thankful that they are willing to share some of their images with us so we can show all of you what it is like to visit us here!
How about this photo by Nancy Gallimore of a mamma sow nursing her cubs! If you look closely....you'll even see that the one cub facing the camera has a "milk mustache"!!
Here's a series of Cow Moose and Calf images, as well as a few more Bear screenshots that came from videos that one of our guests named Carolyn Cheney took while here! Carolyn had some spectacular encounters with wildlife during her time on the river! This was her 2nd trip to ATA Lodge in 2 years, and she and her husband Craig (who spent a lot of his time fishing) have already booked to come again next year!
The sockeye salmon continued to stream past the lodge in their MILLIONS for about 5 weeks. What an incredible spectacle of Mother Nature to behold!!
Like we've already said....
It has to be seen to be believed!!!
Herman said, I've been to Alaska 36 times in the last 36 years; and life is too short to go to the same place twice...Unless it's ATA Lodge! This year was Herman's 2nd time at ATA Lodge in 2 years!!
Even at the tail end of the run, Tim, Bob, George 1 and George 2 sent a message "Loud and Clear", for everyone to see....
If you want to catch more fish than you ever thought possible, then get in touch with ATA Lodge.......
These four guys have also booked to come back to ATA Lodge, not just next season in 2026, but also in 2027 as well....
We could continue to show you more photos of Sockeye and Bears (and we will below...lol) - but we'd like to share a bit more about what else has also been happening at ATA Lodge this past July.
This river is so vast, and so diverse, that each day and each bend in the river gives you a chance to experience, see or catch something new! There is such diversity of flora and fauna, landscapes, fish, and wildlife.
The Alagnak River is a true cornucopia of the very best of what Alaska has to offer. Each sunrise brings another special day full of surprises and delights to tantalize the senses!
After the Sockeye Salmon lead the parade, we start to see the King of the River, the mighty Chinook Salmon, start to trickle in to the system.
Whereas we may get as many as 4 million Sockeye, we only get 15,000-30,000 Kings.
This is considered a good run anywhere in Alaska where King numbers are threatened, seeing many King fisheries regularly closed to sport fishing.
Fortunately, we have never faced any closures to King Salmon Fishing on our river!
We get a very late run of Kings on the Alagnak River compared to most other rivers in Alaska. Also, our location, 52 miles upstream from BRISTOL BAY means that most Kings we catch will have some color to them. They start to change color, from chrome bright silver to a vivid darkish red, very quickly once in fresh water.
Not everyone who wants to, will actually have the good fortune to hook into a King Salmon while they are here.
But for those who do, they never forget it! Kings are strong, and they fight hard. A big Chinook will put your skill as an angler the test, exposing any weakness in fishing technique or your tackle! This river is full of heartbreak stories of "the one that got away!"
By the middle of the moth of July, the Chum Salmon start to enter the river. We get a big run of Chum Salmon, perhaps as many as 600-800,000! When they first come in from the ocean bright and fresh, they are incredibly strong.
They pull hard and just when you think you may be able to slip a net underneath them, they will turn and take another blinding run again....and again...taking you deep into your backing, sometimes, multiple times!
When taking the boats down to the tidal affected areas of our river, it is not uncommon to have 3, 4 or even 5 anglers with all their rods bent at the same time!
Some fishermen will actually have to take a break during a day's fishing. Many have sore arms by the time they have come back to the lodge for dinner!
Whereas June and September represent the best time of the season to target our big, hard fighting leopard rainbow trout nearest the lodge, we still catch plenty of great specimens in July as well in our home waters.
You will have to hunt for them once the salmon start to flood the river, as they get displaced by the sheer volume of salmon that are streaming through and filling up their normal lies. So they may not be in the normal types of places we tend to fish for them in June.
But those guests who put in the time and effort will normally be rewarded by catching some of the most beautiful specimens on planet Earth!
Out trout are special indeed! They are "extra-spotted" and have fantastic crimson stripes and cheeks. Growing up in the swift current of the Alagnak River, they are incredibly strong as well. Even when some of the smaller ones are on the line, some people think they have hooked a big salmon!
This season has produced some great trout while fishing for arctic grayling with light tackle and dry flies! Jay was shocked when his rod doubled over with this fantastic leopard rainbow trout he caught using a 5 wt!
His faced beamed as he told the story around the dinner table that evening after returning to the lodge. No-one believed him, but he had the photos to prove it!
We continue to get the odd lake trout as well in to July. In June we catch the most lake trout, but as Jordan shows here, lake trout are still around to be caught!
Arctic Grayling are also a fun fish to catch on dry flies.
They will bite a dry fly any time of the season. And when you catch one in a spot, there are usually quite a few more in the same area!!
Our grayling average over 15 inches and it is not unusual to catch many each day up to 18 or even 20 inches!
Meal times are a time for telling stories of what was experienced on the river each day. It's always fun to "eavesdrop" on conversations around the dinner table about encounters with the wildlife, or stories of "the one that got away"!
Great people, Great fishing and Great food... make for Great times and Great Memories!!!
After a long day on the water, it is nice to come back to the lodge, and know that a delicious 3 course meal will be served at dinner time!
Breakfasts are hearty, varied and tasty too!
You certainly won't loose much weight while you are here at ATA Lodge! This report, doesn't have many photos of the food, but rest assured, you will be well fed.
You only need to take a look at some of our reviews on TripAdvisor to hear about how great the food is! Fresh vegetables and fruit! Decadent desserts!! And ample portions of different "homestyle" main courses every day!
On July 16th, Sue and Wayne celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary! We have lived in the USA, Europe and Africa over 4 decades of life together! But it is in Alaska now that we celebrate our life together every July!!
We cannot say how fortunate we are to have found each other to share the adventure that we call life together. We have not chosen an easy path, but despite the challenges, we could never have found a more perfect match for this “road less traveled” life together that we have led!
We are grateful for the last 40 years! And we are sure that whatever time is left to us to be together, that…The Best Is Yet To Come!!
We don't have to go very far to meet the "neighbors". Some even like to drop in to pay us a visit every now and then while passing through the neighborhood!
Some even like to drop by our favorite fishing spots to see how we are doing!
Each week has its own "vibe" and "chemistry", depending on the different personalities of guests that we have staying with us here for the week.
We often have guests that come to us from not only just across the whole of the USA, but from all over the World! This season so far, we have had visitors from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, the UK, Ireland and even Kenya!
Each week has been so much fun. Many weeks are full or returning guests that have been here before. Sometimes it feels like "Homecoming". We love welcoming people into the ATA Lodge Extended Family! And we are always thrilled when they come back to visit us again and again!
While most of our guests don't feel the need to "Fly Out" on one of the many adventures we offer here at ATA Lodge, some do like to visit and experience some of what the region has to offer! This often involves getting in a float plane to go places that you can't get to any other way.
Brooks Falls is always a great destination in July with the Sockeye Salmon jumping over the waterfall there while bears catch them as they are concentrated beneath the falls, or when they start to jump over the falls to get up to their spawning areas upstream.
Another popular thing to do (other than flying out to go fishing on another system), is to visit the Katmai Coast, landing on the beach to view bears in a "Jurassic Park" type setting. Or you may even land at the "Valley of 10,000 Smokes", which is like a "lunar landscape" that was created by a huge volcanic eruption of over a century ago.
These excursions are incredibly scenic. You will be flying over volcanoes, glaciers, crater lakes, mountains, river deltas and the dramatic coastlines of the Katmai Coast, which is part of the Ring of Fire.
Of course fly outs are for fishing too!
But the fishing on our home river is usually so good, that no-one really wants to fly out most of the time. Having said that, all the sockeye that have been swimming right past our lodge for over a month now, have reached their spawning gravels in the headwater of our system. So the trout fishing starts to heat up in those small streams from the end of July, and on into August. That's why, this time of the season we normally start to do fly outs to see what was happening on many of these free stone creeks at the top of our system and in the region surrounding ATA Lodge.
Those that took advantage of these opportunities had a fantastic time. The guys in these photos got into some very nice rainbow trout that were feeding on the eggs of the Sockeye Salmon. These salmon have all now turned a bright crimson red as they are by now in their full spawning colors. The anglers were also able to get up close and personal with the bears that were feeding on the red Sockeye!
If money was no issue, there are so many cool places you can fly in to and experience a wide variety of fishing in settings that bewitch the senses with their beguiling beauty. And many guests really enjoy the float plane experience too! There is just something about landing and taking off from a river or lake, surrounded by millions of square miles of the Alaskan hinterland that stirs the imagination and soul!
And of course to catch these beautiful, wild fish, in such a spectacular setting, is the stuff that dreams are made of! We are in the business here at ATA Lodge of making dreams come true!
The last week of July, Tom Herr (pictured directly above) hosted a group of friends to come visit ATA Lodge for the very first time. Tom is a renowned fly dresser of incredible talent!! He was inspired to tie a fly before coming on the trip and framed it to give to us as a gift when he arrived! He "christened' his spectacular creation the "Alagnak" as seen in the photo below!!
We are honored to receive this beautiful fly tied by Tom which he set in a photo of our lodge that was taken by another esteemed guest already mentioned in this report - the talented photog Chas Glatzer!! Needless to say, we have found a prominent place in the lodge to display it for all our guests to fully appreciate.
Thank you Tom!
We'd now like to share with you some more photos and testimonies from some of our guests who have been here with us this July enjoying themselves in this magical corner of Alaska that ATA Lodge calls home:
Don’t delay. This is a trip of a lifetime that you will want to do over and over and include your family and friends.
A special shoutout and blessings to the McGee family and the amazing staff.
A wonderful week indeed.
ATA Lodge Was Absolutely Phenomenal
The fishing on the Alagnak River is world-class — we caught everything from sockeye and grayling to stunning rainbow trout. The guides are top-notch: skilled, friendly, and deeply knowledgeable about the river.
The lodge is remote and peaceful, with cozy cabins and hearty meals that hit the spot after a day on the water. The staff was phenominal. Wildlife sightings were a bonus — tons of bears and eagles — all part of the experience.
If you're looking for an authentic Alaskan fishing adventure, ATA Lodge is the place to go. Looking forward to my next trip!
Bob C.
4 of us - all relatively novice salmon fishermen - embarked on a trip of a lifetime -
what we were presented with as we flew into the ATA airstrip was beyond all expectations - a piece of paradise on the Alagnak River.
With the river on your doorstep - with wildlife all around - an absolute abundance of salmon - some species easy to catch - some proved very challenging. We fished different spots every day with a guide who worked tirelessly to keep us on the fish - some days catching in excess of 50 fish per boat of 2.
The McGee's hospitality was impeccable - no request was too much trouble - the whole hospitality, management and service team delivered day after day - Grade A service with a beaming smile - all - bearing in mind - whilst completely off grid and remote.
The food was fantastic - the whole lodge was amazing and to top it all off - all of the other guests were great fun and great company
My only regret is that I have to wait a whole year to go back!
If you are reading reviews to decide which lodge to stay at - and we have stayed at a few - look no further - ATA ticks every box!
All the guests present our week left as dear friends and extended family. We had limited fishing experience, which was perfect.
Our guide provided everything needed.
Great service, food, rooms, guides and fishing. A bucket list event for sure. We are booked for return in 2026.
The cabins are very comfortable, the chef and staff prepare some delicious meals and special desserts! All of the staff at the lodge are gracious and make one feel at home.
All A's! Off-the-Grid AWESOME
Wayne and Sue, the lodge owners have put together an utterly positive experience for guests. The fishing is great, the photography was mind blowing, and the accommadations are comfortable. Any issues we had were handled right away and with a smile. But the real wonder to me was the atmosphere!
Went for the photography and fishing, but I'll be back because of the wonderful atmosphere.
We hope you have enjoyed "the journey" we've taken you on through this report. It is our hope that if you are reading this and have been here before, that you will be motivated to come back and visit us again!
If you have never been to ATA Lodge before, we hope that you have been inspired to start to plan your next big adventure, and "make tracks" to the Wild and Scenic Alagnak River and ATA Lodge!
We will be waiting to hear from you, and hope to welcome you back to ATA Lodge soon!
Or if you have never been here before, we would love to welcome you here for the very first time (and we are convinced if you do come, it won't be for the last time)!
Our staff and boats will be poised and ready to whisk you away from hustle and bustle of modern life, and get you "hooked" on what we know will be one of the best times of your life!
Get in touch for details about how you can come "hang out with us here" at ATA Lodge. We'd love to send you information and availability to plan your trip to come and "Take a Walk on the Wild Side"!
www.atalodge.com
Email: atalodge.wayne@gmail.com
Phone: +1-877-801-2289
