My eyes feasted on the sight—from valley to mountaintop, nature’s stunning panorama engulfed all my senses. This was my first flight to the Karluk River, and I sat in disbelief as the incredible beauty of the landscape passed beneath our plane. Everything is so green on Kodiak Island, with waves of emerald saturating a vista simply stunning to behold. One mountain ridge after another exposed pristine valleys filled with remote streams and rivers. The scene refused to relinquish its hold, each new image more magnificent than the preceding. I kept trying to tally exactly how many years it would take to fish the place, sure I had stumbled onto Alaska’s last prime fishing secret.

The experience was humbling and awe-inspiring at the same time. From that moment on, I knew I was hooked on the Karluk. My next trip was in October, and we were planning to spend a week in a cabin at the portage section of the river. I had heard the later the fishing the better, but booking a trip that late in the fall seemed almost out of the question. Alaska autumns are frequently overshadowed by their less hospitable cousin season, and winter storms are definitely not uncommon that close to Halloween. The possibility of being stuck in a cabin with four anglers for an extra week or two did not sit well with me. Soon the middle Karluk would freeze over and floatplanes would be unable to land midriver, and we were already on the cusp of being the last flight to return for the season. Even though the trip planning started well in advance, with contingencies built in for weather, I maintained a cautious note. We had rented one of the cabins at the portage, so at least we were going to be out of the elements, though I have to admit, thoughts of the Donner party made frequent treks across my mind. The nightly temperature was dropping into the single digits, with the forecast for the next few days ranging somewhere between bleak and grim. But then, what is fishing without a little risk? Even if we were caught in a snowstorm and no one could come get us, we would survive with our extra rations. And a week off from work with awesome steelhead fishing at our front door couldn’t be too bad.

The trip included my close friend Bill Howland, seasoned Kenai guide Curt Trout, and Polly Kanasagrad of Anchorage. Bill lives a stones throw from the Deschutes River in Oregon and fishes everyday from that prime piece of river real estate. I swore to secrecy on the location, but this guy is tuned in to steelhead. I knew his observations on their behavior would help us Alaskans on the trip. Curt Trout, of course, is nothing more than Alaska’s answer to nymph fishing, and his expertise with the strike indicator borders on the legendary.

Following a breakfast of warm oatmeal and hot coffee, we departed our cabins for the first day of fishing in good humor. The view from the high banks along the middle river is spectacular; you can see two miles of stream from the bluff above the portage area. From that vantage, Bill and I could spot several streaks of brilliance darting through the clear water, funny anomalies not unlike the flash from some shiny object reflecting the sun. “They’re fish but not steelhead,” I mumbled to Bill. After closer observation, we knew we were witnessing hundreds of large Dollies partaking in their pre-spawn ritual. “This whole section of river is loaded with them.” I exclaimed.

“Why don’t you hike to the river’s edge, and I’ll spot fish for you?” Bill said. Not another moment passed before I was on my way to the bottom of the hill and trying to locate the flashes we spotted from the ridge. After a few well placed casts— with the help of my trusted fish spotter— I was into some great Dolly Varden fishing. Curt Trout joined me from downriver, announcing his arrival by hooking a few fish of his own.

The Karluk lends itself to a lot of pocket fishing, and being such a shallow river, it offers a myriad of opportunities for properly drifted nymphs. Curt’s downstream or extended loop technique is particularly deadly.

Soon we were about all fished out on the Dollies and decided to move on in search of our primary prey. Karluk steelhead will often fall for a dead drifted nymph, though nothing quite replaces the excitement of a grab on the surface. My trusted Oregonian partner suggested we try to raise some with floating lines and dry flies, and we were quick to agree. We decided to fish a long slick below camp that looked like it had potential. Bill often fishes a “greased line” with floating and subsurface flies on the Deschutes for summer run steelies, and he assured me we could raise an Alaskan fish or two with a similar approach. I sat on a high bank and stared in amazement as Bill laid beautiful roll casts out to a pair of steelhead hunkered in a tailout. He rose and landed numerous sea run beauties and pricked another (short for a “whiff and miss”) while I continued to watch. “That’ll probably put him down for a few minutes,” Bill hollered. I barely heard. The river flowed unadulterated, the air held a refreshingly crisp tinge, and the majesty of Kodiak Island seemed to put the whole world at peace. I thought for a moment longer, now knowing the best had yet to come. As if nature’s true splendor wasn’t enough, I had just been shown how to raise Karluk steelhead!

HISTORY

At one time the village of Karluk hosted one of the world’s largest salmon canneries, and the salmon runs of the 1800s were once considered the most prolific in Alaska. After commercial exploitation in the early 1900s, the river finally quieted down and is now home to a few locals living a simple life of subsistence. Karluk is an Alutiiq (Russian Aleut) village where fish processing is the primary source of livelihood. The village corporation shares ownership of a cannery with the corporations of Larsen Bay and Old Harbor, but the operation has been idle in recent years. Most locals actively participate in a subsistence hunting and fishing lifestyle.

ACCESS

Though all but the lower eight miles of the river are located within the boundary of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge (KNWR), all of the lands adjacent to the river and most of the land surrounding Karluk Lagoon are privately owned. Public use trail and site easements have been reserved at intervals along the river to provide reasonable access to the remaining public land and major waterways. In addition, Koniag, Inc. and the Karluk Tribal Council own most of the land adjacent to the river and have implemented permit programs to allow access. Anglers fishing the Karluk typically gain access to the river in one of three ways. They can fly into the village of Karluk via wheel or floatplane and fish the Karluk Lagoon and the lower Karluk River. This portion of the river offers good fishing during peak times for salmon. Anglers should be aware of tidal influences that can affect the fishing in this section. Others fly into Karluk Lake and float the river downstream to a takeout at the portage (halfway downriver) or all the way downstream to Karluk Lagoon. You can also access the river by flying into the portage section of the Karluk via floatplane and then floating to the lagoon. This is the most popular section of the river, with rustic cabins available at the portage. You can hike and wadefish from the cabins or float this section down to the Karluk Lagoon for plane pickup.

THE RIVER

A well known Alaskan guide once said, “The Karluk has the best chinook fishing in the state, and it is one of the few places where you can sight cast to big chinook in water no deeper than your knees.” I find this to be absolute fact. The entire length of the Karluk really is nothing more than a series of shallow ripples. On my first trip to the river, all the “skinny” water surprised me. There are no deep holes or any traditional holding water. Thus, anglers should concentrate on smaller sections of water while fishing the Karluk. Most undercut banks, large rocks, and points of islands will hold fish, and it is in these areas that the wise fisherman will stop and spend some time. “Never leave fish to find fish,” is a rule to abide by when fishing the Karluk. The river is only 25 miles long and float time is 18 hours. Stop and fish potential water. The section below the portage has numerous islands that contain deeper slots and cover. Once you are in the canyon section, though, the fishing is marginal. And although the lower river holds fish, the water is less productive as tidal influence and fewer pockets of holding water make for tougher fishing.

For the most part, an autumn excursion on the Karluk is not unlike fishing some of the crisper spring steelhead fisheries of southeast Alaska. The Situk (near Yakutat) and the Thorne (on Prince of Wales Island) both come to mind. Cold water is the norm for these rivers in early spring, averaging from 36 to 40 degrees. This can make our aquatic acrobats a little lethargic. Where the Karluk differs, though, is when the occasional warm front pushes through and raises the water temperature, creating a metabolic cocktail which puts the fish on the “bite”. I have noticed this phenomenon during even the subtlest temperature shifts, like when a little early morning ambient light raises the water temperature a scant two degrees. So, do not let the cold water discourage you, both the Alaska spring and fall are excellent times to fish for trophy steelies.

If you do plan on fishing the fall run of Karluk steelhead, there are a few gear essentials. You should bring a 7 or 8 weight travel fly rod, an assortment of flies ranging from Nix’s wooly worms, seafleas, globugs in assorted colors, muddler minnows, rajahs, black leeches, greenbutted skunks, freight trains, and a few skaters or bombers. Leaders should be constructed of high abrasion material and fall in the 9 to 10foot range, with 8 to 12pound tippets. Anglers should bring a floating line, Teeny 5foot minitips, or 5 to 12foot sinktips in type III and IV. Layered clothing and gloves are also a necessity. Remember, 5millimeter bootfoot waders keep toes warm in cold water—don’t leave home without them!

THE FISH

Few rivers offer the diversity and sheer numbers of fish throughout the season like the Karluk. Upon awakening from its winter slumber, the river first welcomes hordes of chrome chinook warriors, followed by prolific runs of sockeye. However, the real gem of the Karluk is the elusive steelhead. For the purist, fall steelhead fishing on the Karluk can be spectacular.

The Karluk is one of the two rivers on Kodiak that support a population of native chinook salmon. These kings return from late May through midJuly, with 50 percent of the immigration usually passing the weir located on the lower river by June 15. Karluk River kings spawn from the outlet of Karluk Lake downstream to just above the lagoon. Few, if any, chinook enter Karluk Lake or the tributaries of the lake. Spawning occurs from mid August through mid September.

Escapements of chinook are counted through weirs located near the terminus of the river and have averaged 10,190 fish during the past 14 years, with individual year totals ranging from 4,430 to 14,440 fish. Fishing for kings is open year-round on the Karluk, but anglers should check current escapement status and openings before planning a trip, as in some years, like 2001, a lower escapement of chinook created a somewhat shorter fishing season.

Sockeye salmon return to the Karluk from June through September, spawning in the drainage from August through November. About one third of the sockeye spawn in Karluk Lake, with the remaining population reproducing in the lake’s tributaries. The reds bound for the Karluk are harvested in commercial, subsistence, and sport fisheries all along their route. These salmon offer good sport for anglers, with high numbers of fish (Karluk Lake supports a return population of 675,000 fish) and heady success rates. The red salmon run coincides with the chinook run in June and July, when both species are available in good numbers.

Coho and steelhead season gets started in mid September when the first wave of silver arrives. The peak of the steelhead run occurs in late October, which is a great time to be on the river as the majority of anglers are usually done fishing the Karluk by August. The largest indigenous run of native steelhead on the island makes for some spectacular fishing. Most anglers camp in rental cabins available at the portage area, which provides a major staging area for fall steelhead. Just downstream steelhead fishing can be great. The majority of steelhead spawning takes place from April through early June. This year, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Karluk will have a catch and release spring fishery open for steelhead from April 1 to June 14. Only artificial lures will be allowed. If you’re planning on making this trip, remember that the weather can be especially unpredictable in both the spring and fall and having enough time on both sides of your trip will help with any weather delays.

Renowned fly fisherman Tony Weaver is a widely published author and a lifelong resident of Alaska. He is the Chief Technical Editor for Fish Alaska magazine.