Talkeetna Fishing Lodge

June and July 2023 are sold out. There are still some free slots in August. In 2024, there are also spaces in June and July.

Each year, tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of salmon swim from the sea to the Susitna River basin, and fishing at Chunilna Creek becomes a world-class fishing experience. Talkeetna Fishing Lodge is located on the shore of Chunilna (Clear) Creek, approximately 2.75 miles upstream from Talkeetna River, which flows into the Susitna River. From Talkeetna, it takes roughly 15 minutes by boat to the lodge.

ACCOMMODATION IN A BEAUTIFUL SETTING

Here at Talkeetna Fishing Lodge, we are constantly expanding to offer magical experiences. We provide state-of-the-art accommodation, warm showers, running water, electricity in the lodge, fireplaces, entertainment, sauna, and one of the best fishing experiences you will ever find. At Talkeetna Fishing Lodge, we do everything we can to make your visit as pleasant as possible. We understand the importance of a comfortable bed and a good night’s sleep after a fantastic day of fishing. Even midday siestas are very popular! All of our beds are extremely comfortable, and our customers often give us good feedback about them.

Included:

• 7-day upkeep in Alaska (Saturday to Saturday)
• 6 days of fishing
• Transport from/to the airport by car and boat
• A local guide and boat at your disposal for the entire week
• Your breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared by a gourmet chef

 

Not included:

• 7-day fishing permit (approx. EUR 60, plus in the Chinook salmon season + approx. EUR 40 for a “king tag”). You can acquire the permits in advance online or on the spot.
• Alcoholic beverages for personal consumption
• Tips for the guide and chef. This is common practice in the Alaskan sport fishing industry, and the size of the tip is 10%–20% of the price of participation.
• Flights, cancellation fees or standard travel insurance

Each passenger must read and approve the order and delivery terms and also fill out and submit an excess form.

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The Chinook salmon

Salmon are fished using a fly, spinner or bright spoon lure but always with a single hook (barbs are OK). Over the last 10 years, the best fly for catching Chinook salmon has been the Dalai Llama (a.k.a. Dolly Lama). Some years, the catch has been smaller than expected. Then, we have followed the C&R principle. The Chinook salmon is every experienced fisher’s dream. That feeling of a giant bite and catching on your hook, the confirmation that the fish is well and truly hooked, following its movement – and moving yourself – on the shore or in the water to a shared rhythm and, first and foremost, being rewarded by landing an enormous salmon on the riverbed, beats all of your previous fishing experiences hands down. Rivers and riverbeds are made for salmon fishing. Relatively shallow, rivers have a slow or medium flow and either sand or rock bars. Even though we are allowed to catch a couple of salmon per fisher each day, we usually only take what we can eat and let the rest go. Sometimes, our guests want to vacuum pack and freeze the fish and bring it back to Finland, which is also possible. We carefully observe the instructions and rules of the Alaskan fishing authorities, and if the numbers of fish swimming upriver are lower than usual, we comply with the C&R regulations or, if necessary, try to avoid catching Chinook salmon altogether, which in itself can sometimes be hard. In the last case, we use class #8 or smaller rods, whereas we normally use class #10+ rods for Chinook salmon fishing.

 

Red salmon/Sockeye salmon

The red salmon start their journey upriver in June and continue until mid-August. A red salmon can grow up to 6–8 kg in weight, but it usually averages 2.5–5.5 kg. The same rule applies to red salmon as to other salmon that swim upriver, that is, the shinier silver the colour of the fish, the less time it has spent in the river and the brighter red the colour of its flesh. The longer the salmon has spent in the river looking for a partner to mate with, the redder its skin. Ultimately, the shade may turn into a Ferrari red, at which point the meat is no longer that tasty. The best way to tell a red salmon from other salmon is the green tint of its head. In the sea, the red salmon’s diet comprises mainly shrimp, other crayfish and plankton, but the fish is attracted to various flies and lures. Sometimes, the red salmon is too picky to eat almost anything, which is a good time to surprise it with a small fly or spinner. The red salmon also puts up a good fight at the end of your line, and it may perform several stunning leaps in the air and yank out a hefty amount of line before it surrenders. There are shoals of red salmon right next to our lodges, and they like to swim up Fish Creek. Naturally, you can also find them in Clear Creek and the Talkeetna River.

 

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Good to know…

The price does not include flights. For up-to-date fishing regulations, go to: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/ Each customer books their own flights. We are happy to help with regard to information about the various available options. We switch on Thursdays, so it is good if you can make your way to Anchorage already on Wednesday. Each customer books their own flights.

 

Money back principle

Read more about our booking and delivery terms >