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.
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 from the Bering Sea. 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.
Togiak King Salmon Fishing
King Salmon: 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 Silver Salmon
Silver Salmon Fishing: The Lodge has a Red Hot Silvers package from mid-August to mid-September. Togiak silvers are reportedly the largest in the Bristol Bay region, averaging 9 to 12 pounds. Fresh from the ocean, Togiak Silvers often still have sea lice on them. They devour flies, spinners, jigs, topwater lures, and spoons work very well. More than half the anglers that visit Togiak Lodge are here to fly fish for acrobatic silvers.
View Eric Schoenborn's Togiak Video
Two to Four Anglers per Boat and Guide
River 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. You'll fish 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.
Halibut Fishing Packages
Togiak Bay has a healthy population of migrating and resident Pacific halibut. You’ll target halibut in 30 to 70 feet of water, running from 3 to 9 ounces of lead. Peak halibut season runs from June 10 through July 16.
You'll travel from the Lodge to the halibut fishing grounds six miles by boat in the Lodge's 24-foot Design Concepts with an 8.1 liter Chevy vortex jet engine. You can book a halibut-specific trip before July 1st that includes multiple days to target halibut. With the Angler's Adventure package, available from July 6-24, you’ll have one day of halibut fishing per trip.
Native Rainbow Trout
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. You should not book a trip specifically for rainbows. While there are not significant numbers of rainbows on the Togiak, they do have some large ones.
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.
The Fishing Program:
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 for Silvers and Waterfowl
Equipment: All equipment is provided, including fly and spey gear. Advance notice is needed if you plan on using their fly outfits.
Fishing License: The package does not include an Alaska fishing license and king salmon stamp. A non-resident fishing license is $45.00 (2024), 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 your salmon is processed, depending on the season.
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. A guide may be willing to head back out with you for a small tip. Enjoy a movie or relax in the sauna.
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.
King Salmon Success
Togiak River Lodge
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 have a drying facility where waders, rain gear, and clothing can be dried overnight.
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.
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.
The charter flight between Anchorage and Togiak is included in the package.
Getting to the Lodge:
Arrival Day: You’ll fly to Anchorage. A hotel night in Anchorage may be required and not included in the package. A list of recommended hotels is in our confirmation packet.
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. There is a baggage weight limit of 50 pounds plus a 10-pound carry-on.
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.
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. in case there are weather delays.
Togiak River King Salmon
Silvers Average 9 to 12 Pounds
2024 and 2025 Rates
2024 USD Rates
2024 USD Rates:
King Salmon (Catch-and-Release Weeks)
June 21-26, June 26 - July 1, or July 1-6, 2024:
5-nights and 5-day Spey or Fly Fishing
$7,000.00 per person
Kings, Sockeye, Chums, Pinks, Dollies, and Rainbows:
July 6-11 or July 11-16, 2024:
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person
July 16-19, 2024:
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,600.00 per person
Sockeye, Chums, Pinks, Rainbows and Dollies:
July 19-24, 2024:
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person
July 24-29, 2024:
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person
Variety on the Fly Season
Fresh Silvers, Dolly Varden, and Rainbows
August 10-15, 2024
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person
August 15-20, 2024:
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,650.00 per person
Peak Silver Salmon:
August 20-23, 2024
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,800.00 per person
Aug. 23-28, Aug. 28 - Sept. 2, Sept. 2-7, and Sept. 7-12, 2024:
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $7,050.00
September 12-16, 2024:
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,590.00 per person
Cast-and-Blast - Silvers and Waterfowl:
September 16-20: - Maximum of 8 guests.
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,495.00 per person
2025 USD Rates:
Spey Season - King Salmon (Catch-and-Release Weeks)
June 21-26, June 26 - July 1, or July 1-6, 2025:
5-nights and 5-day Spey or Fly Fishing
$8,050.00 per person
Kings, Sockeye, Chums, Pinks, Dollies, and Rainbows:
July 6-11 or July 11-16, 2025:
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,900.00 per person
Sockeye, Chums, Pinks, Rainbows and Dollies:
July 19 - August 1, 2025
3-nights and 3-days guided fishing $4,600.00 per person
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,900.00 per person
Variety on the Fly Season
Fresh Silvers, Dolly Varden, and Rainbows
August 10-20, 2025
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $6,900.00 per person
Peak Silver Salmon:
August 20 - September 16, 2025
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,590.00 per person
5-nights and 5-days guided fishing $7,100.00 per person
Cast-and-Blast - Silvers and Waterfowl:
September 16-20, 2025: Maximum of 8 guests.
4-nights and 4-days guided fishing $5,590.00 per person
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, spey, 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 of 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.
TOGIAK RIVER LODGE POLICIES:
Deposit and Payment Policy: If you are booking a trip for the current season, a 50% deposit is required to reserve your spot. The balance is due 90 days prior to arrival at the Lodge. If you are booking for the following season, a $1,000.00 deposit is required to reserve the spot. Half the balance of the trip is due by the first of the year, and the remaining balance is due by April 1. For example, it’s August 2024, and you want to book a trip in July of 2025. The Lodge requires $1,000 down per person to confirm the spots, and the second payment would be due by December 1, 2024. The remaining balance of the 2025 trip is due by April 1, 2025.
Cancellation Policy: The Lodge offers a refund within 14 days of making your initial deposit. After that, they do not offer any refunds but will apply the funds to a different time. We highly recommend travel insurance to help mitigate the risk of not making your trip.
Fishing with Larry strongly recommends purchasing trip insurance. Click here for our Travel Insurance page.