Fishing

Sport fishing was the first activity to make Katmai famous and was origin of the area's tourism industry. With wild populations of Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, Arctic Grayling, Dolly Varden, Lake Trout, and five species of Pacific Salmon, fishing is truly world class. The Katmai region falls into three separate management areas under the Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Bristol Bay, Kodiak/Aleutian and Lower Cook Inlet. Due to the risk of overfishing, each management area has its own set of rules and regulations for how many and what size fish you are allowed to keep. You should be familiar with the regulations if you fish without a guide. On the Brooks River, fishing is catch-and-release only above the floating bridge. Downstream of the floating bridge anglers are permitted to keep one fish per person per day. You can only keep a fish if you have hooked it in the mouth. You are not allowed to retain Rainbow Trout in Lake Brooks, the Brooks River, or within a quarter mile of the Brooks River in Nanek Lake. Fishing is prohibited year-round within 100 yards on either side of the Brooks Falls fish ladder. Rangers encourage anglers to use barbless hooks, as they are less harmful to the fish. Be careful to keep the fish in water as you remove the hook, so it does not suffocate before being released. Bag your catch, label it with your name and departure date, and bring it to the Brooks Camp Fish Freezing Building. Those who have their own equipment are free to fish on their own. Fishing licenses can be purchased at the King Salmon Visitor Center, next to the airport. A number of commercial outfitters are available to take you on a guided sport-fishing trip, including Royal Wolf Lodge, Shaska Adventures, Alaska's Enchanted Lake Lodge, No See Um Lodge, Branch River Air Service, and Kulik Lodge. Many of the region's streams and rivers are accessed only by floatplane, with the exception of Naknek Lake, which has a drive-up boat launch.