Fishing
is our main emphasis at Chelatna Lake Lodge, simply because it’s
so amazing!
Chelatna Lake
offers a gateway to some of the finest rainbow trout and grayling
fishing in the state. We specialize in both fly-fishing or spin-fishing
with professional, experienced fishing guides who are vigilant in
sharing their local knowledge to help you locate and catch fish.
Chelatna Lake offers perfect waters for fishermen, from the novice
to the experienced fly-fisherman.
See
more Alaska Fishing with Chelatna:
Native
rainbow trout, our most sought after fish, are present
in the lake and creek throughout the summer. Beginning in early
summer, the winter hungry rainbow and grayling show up to feast
on the new hatches and outbound smolt. Then once the salmon spawn,
from late June through August, the rainbow collect along the gravel
bars to feed on the roe and are plentiful. When the last of the
salmon have past, larger rainbows move upriver into our water to
gorge on salmon roe, bringing in some monsters.
All five of
the Pacific salmon make their way up Lake Creek
to Chelatna Lake each summer. The Chinooks arrive in late June,
with the ravenous rainbow in hot pursuit. Mid-July brings the bulk
of our salmon, the pinks and sockeyes (red-salmon) to the lake.
Depending upon the run, we get upward of 100,000 fish into the lake
and creeks. This makes for great fly fishing for these salmon as
well as the other indigenous fish after their roe. The water near
the lodge stays filled with salmon until late August—mostly
sockeyes. Coho and chum salmon are incidental.
Chelatna Lake
is best known for its rainbow trout, but we also have large numbers
of Arctic grayling available. This is a beautiful
Arctic fish with a large dorsal fin from the whitefish family. The
average size of our grayling are from one to three pounds. They
are top water feeders and provide a lot of action when caught.
We also have
a good amount of resident lake trout. These fish
average from three to four pounds but are sometimes bigger. They
are predominately caught by trolling on spinning gear in the lake
itself. Both of these fish are consistent throughout the summer
season.
Fishing for
northern pike is most productive in June, before
the weeds grow too high in the water. These voracious fish can range
from three to twenty pounds, making for some exciting fishing.
Fly
Fishing Classes: For the novice fly-fisherman this is an
opportune place to take advantage of some fly-fishing lessons. Our
helpful guides start instruction on our vast lawn at the lake front,
giving you plenty of space to learn the basics and gain the feeling
for fly-casting. Soon you will be ready to gear up and to turn that
newfound knowledge into “fish-on” at the top of Lake
Creek.
Conservation:
We are passionate about maintaining this amazing and natural fishery
for top quality fishing as well as preserving it for future generations.
We proudly adhere to a strict catch and release policy for our native
fresh water species such as rainbow trout and grayling. You are
welcome to take home your limit of salmon.
Species of fish and their approximate dates of availability:
