Togiak River Lodge - Alaska

Fly or Lures for King and Silver Salmon

Togiak River Lodge is 350 miles southwest of Anchorage and 60 miles west of Dillingham. The Lodge is six miles upriver from the mouth of the Togiak River and the Inuit village of Togiak, Alaska. The Lodge sits adjacent to the four-million-acre Togiak National Wildlife Refuge in the world-famous Bristol Bay region.

Togiak River Lodge Fishing

Situated only six miles from saltwater, Togiak River Lodge is an entry to the outstanding spawning grounds for all five species of Alaskan Pacific salmon. Fish arrive power-charged, chrome bright, fresh out of the ocean. Togiak River Lodge is the only established lodge on the first 20 miles of the river, and while a few other outfitters fly out to the river for day trips, fishing pressure is minimal. In the Togiak's clear waters, anglers target king, coho, sockeye, chum, pink salmon, trophy-sized native rainbow trout, Arctic char, grayling, and dolly varden. The Togiak is also an ideal fly-fishing river.
Rainbow Trout: The Lodge practices catch-and-release on all rainbow trout to ensure a healthy fishery and to provide opportunities for rainbows up to 10+ pounds. There are not big numbers of rainbows, but they do have some large ones on the Togiak.
King Salmon: runs begin in May, pouring into the river in mid-June, with excellent fishing through late July, with fish weighing up to 55+ pounds. During king salmon season, a daily average is 20 to 30 salmon per boat. The silvers enter the river in early August, and fishing is great until mid-September. Togiak silvers are reportedly the largest in Alaska’s freshwater, averaging 8 to 14 pounds, with fish up to 20 pounds. More than half of Togiak's guests visit to fly fish for silvers.

Togiak Fishing Facts

Lodge Season: June 1 through September.
King Salmon: June – July
Halibut: June – July
Silver Salmon: August - September
Rainbow Trout: June - September
Cast-and-Blast: September (Silvers and Waterfowl)
Boats: 18 to 20-foot flat-bottom and spacious aluminum boats for maximum fishing room. Mercury motors range from 60 HP to 150 HP. Comfortable, top-of-the-line Tempress boat seats. Two to four anglers per guide and boat.
Guides: Hardworking, experienced guides are proficient in fly and spin angling, backtrolling, bobber fishing, and all the methods used on the Togiak.
Equipment: All fly and spin tackle is included. Spey gear is not provided. Please let us know if you'll be fly fishing and using their equipment.
Fishing License: and king salmon stamp are not included in the package. A non-resident fishing license is $45.00 (2023), and a king salmon stamp $45.00 (if applicable).
Fish Care: Your catch is cleaned, wrapped in commercial-weight plastic wrap to preserve freshness, vacuum-packed, and frozen as soon as they get off the boats. Time permitting, the Lodge will smoke some of your catch using their famous recipe. Fish are packed in waxed fish boxes. Up to 50 pounds of processed salmon, depending on the season.

Eric Schoenborn's Togiak Video

Native Rainbow Trout

In early June, rainbows are hungry after the long winter, begin feeding on salmon smolts, and are aggressive toward topwater mice. As the king, chum, and sockeye salmon migrate upriver, Togiak rainbows are right on their tail. Late July through September, they fast on eggs and decaying salmon, and after eating all summer, rainbows are at their largest in late August or September. A 6-weight fly rod with a floating line is the perfect size for these trophy fish. Target with egg pattern flies, flesh flies, beads, and small twitching jigs. You should not book a trip specifically for rainbows. There are no significant numbers of rainbows on the Togiak, but they do have some large ones, with some exceeding 30 inches.

Eric Schoenborn with 55-pound King

Eric Schoenborn landed his 55-pound king (a little dark) while back-bouncing eggs, one of the many methods employed here.

Togiak River Lodge

Pine Paneled Living Room with Comfortable Couches

Togiak River Lodge sits on the banks of its namesake river. The main lodge overlooks the river and has a roomy lounge with a 40” screen satellite TV, dining room, kitchen, laundry room, gift shop, and sauna. They also have a drying facility where waders, rain gear, and clothing can be dried overnight.

Ten Private Heated Cabins

Cabins: You’ll stay in one of ten private, heated cabins, with two to four guests per cabin. The cabins are clean, comfortable, and furnished with two to four twin beds, a bathroom, a hot shower, and fresh linens. Daily housekeeping is provided. The cabins sit adjacent to the Lodge and overlook the river. One cabin is accessibility-friendly.
Lodge Capacity: The Lodge comfortably accommodates up to 20 people. If a larger group wants to book the entire lodge, they can accommodate as many as 27 guests.

Togiak Photo by Samuel G. Potter

Communications: Free Starlink Wi-Fi is available in the main lodge. WhatsApp works very well for Wi-Fi calling with cell phones.
Meals: Cooked-to-order breakfasts. After breakfast, you'll pack a lunch from the sandwich bar or return to the Lodge for a sandwich-and-soup bar. Four-course dinners.
Alcohol: The nearby town of Togiak is a dry village, and because of this, the Lodge is not allowed to have alcohol, making it a dry lodge.

Getting to the Lodge:

Arrival Day: You’ll fly to Anchorage. On your trip start date, at 6:00 a.m., you’ll take a 90-minute flight from Anchorage to Togiak. You’ll fly on a 14-passenger Raytheon Beech 1900C flown by ACE Air Cargo. This roundtrip flight Anchorage to Togiak is included in the package. You'll arrive in Togiak around 8:30 a.m. The Lodge staff will pick you up at the Togiak Airport and boat you five miles upriver (15 minutes) to the Lodge. You'll have breakfast and then get in a full day of fishing.
A hotel night in Anchorage may be required and not included in the package. A list of recommended hotels is in our confirmation packet.
Departure Day: You'll fly back to Anchorage via Ace Air Cargo, arriving around noon, weather permitting. However, we do not recommend booking flights any earlier than 3:30 – 4:00 p.m. just in case there are weather delays.

Typical Fishing Day:

7:00 a.m. After a cooked-to-order breakfast, you’ll visit the sandwich bar to make your lunch for the boat, plus grab some snacks and drinks. You’ll then head to the docks to go fishing.
Noon: You’ll eat lunch on the boat or, upon request, return to the Lodge for soup and a sandwich. After lunch, you’ll return to fishing.
5:00 - 5:30 p.m. You’ll head back to the Lodge.
6:00 p.m. Appetizers are served in the lounge.
6:30 p.m. The first course is served in the dining room. After dinner, you may fish from the bank in front of the Lodge, or for a small tip, a guide may be willing to head back out with you. Enjoy a movie or relax in the sauna.

2024 Rates:

Halibut, Northern Pike, and Rainbow:
June 1-21, 2025
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,450.00 per person
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,350.00 per person
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,370.00 per person

King Salmon (Catch-and-Release Weeks)
June 21 - July 6, 2024
5-nights and 5-day Spey or Fly Fishing
$7,000.00 per person

Kings, Chums, Sockeye, Pinks, Rainbows and Dollies:
July 6-24, 2024
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,500.00 per person
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,600.00 per person

Sockeye, Chums, Pinks, Late Kings, Rainbows and Dollies:
July 24 - August 1, 2024
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,500.00 per person
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,600.00 per person

Silvers, Rainbows, and Dollies:
August 10-20, 2024
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person

Peak Silver Salmon:
August 20 - September 16, 2024
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,850.00 per person
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,595.00 per person
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,600.00 per person

Cast-and-Blast - Silvers and Waterfowl:
September 16-24 - Maximum of 8 guests.
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,495.00 per person
*Discounts are available for those who want to combine a 3 and 4-day trip into a 7-day trip.

The Packages Include:

• Charter flight between Anchorage and Togiak
• Boat ride between Togiak village and the Lodge
• Lodging
• Meals and snacks
• Daily housekeeping
• Starlink Wi-Fi
• Guided fishing
• Use of fly or spin gear
(including rod, reel, tackle, bait, and flies)
• Vacuum-packed fish care
• Fish smoking for a portion of your catch
• Up to 50 pounds processed fish, depending on the season
• Waxed fish boxes

The Packages Do Not Include:

• Airfare to Anchorage, and return
• Hotel, meals, and ground transfers in Anchorage
• Alaska fishing license
• King salmon stamp, if applicable
• Gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Global Rescue
• Travel insurance
• Anything not mentioned under inclusions.
• Fishing with Larry adds a 2.5% convenience fee to all credit card transactions as of 12/2020.