The Katmai fishing lodge, Katmai Sky Lodge, is built on more than just wild scenery, it’s built on a conservation ethic that shapes every part of how owners Skylar and Chip Lamont run their business. Set on a remote inholding within Katmai National Park, the lodge reflects a deep commitment to protecting the wild waters of Bristol Bay.
Story by Tica Drury
Photos by Katmai Sky Lodge
Katmai Sky Lodge is located on a private inholding in Katmai National Park. The area has been a national monument for over 100 years.
You know the saying,“I get by with a little help from my friends”? As we cross into our second decade of advocating to protect Bristol Bay, friends are more important than ever. The region is threatened by the proposed Pebble Mine, an open-pit mine that would compromise the planet’s greatest salmon run. Faces of Bristol Bay is a series of profiles on Bristol Bay advocates that have devoted their lives to safeguarding the region. Read about commercial fisherman Steve Kurian, big-game hunting guide Tia Shoemaker, and subsistence fisher and guide Tatyana Zackar at savebristolbay.org.
The adventure of off-grid living in the Alaskan wilderness captivates many. But it takes a special kind of person to actually make the leap. Flyfishing guides, Skylar and Chip Lamont, are among the rare few giving this unique lifestyle a go. After years of guiding in and advocating for Bristol Bay, the Lamonts are building a fishing and wildlife-viewing lodge in the heart of the region.
Katmai Sky Lodge
Katmai is known for scenes of salmon leaping into the open jaws of the world’s fattest bears at Brooks Falls. But with four million acres of wilderness and 6,000 miles of rivers and streams, there is a whole lot more to explore. Skylar has deep roots here after nearly a decade of experience guiding fly anglers throughout the region. She and Chip even got married on the bank of a river in Katmai, with waders and a mosquito net veil as wedding attire.
It’s no surprise that when the opportunity came to build their own lodge in the midst of this wild country, they jumped at it. Katmai Sky Lodge is nestled on the tundra and surrounded by spruce trees. It overlooks Olga Lake, which doubles as a stunning front-deck view and as a runway for the floatplane, the only way to access the property.
Off-Grid and All-in
Skylar and Chip vowed “through tough times and sunshine” when married on the bank of the Nonvianuk River, one of Katmai’s many prolific trout streams.
Between them, Skylar and Chip wear many hats: boat captain, builder, conservationist, bush pilot, and guide to name a few.
When they first arrived in the summer of 2023, their sole purpose was survival. Stepping off the floatplane and onto a completely untouched swath of land, they had to set up tents, find drinking water, dig an outhouse hole, and set up solar panels. In a place where the running joke goes: “If you ever need lunch, just clap two pieces of bread together and you’ll get yourself a mosquito sandwich,” battling the bugs was a full-time job.
When Skylar calls the lodge “a labor of love” she’s not exaggerating. Each board is handled about seven times before it is nailed down. Every building apparatus is flown in; smaller tools via bush plane, bigger equipment via helicopter sling load.
Building anything is difficult, bush flying is dangerous, and starting a business is demanding. It’s easy to see why relentless determination and a healthy sense of adventure are prerequisites for lodge-owner life. Luckily, these two have an abundance of both, and perhaps most importantly, a tremendous propensity for teamwork. “Through it all, Chip and I traded off being each other’s rock,” reflects Skylar, “taking it moment by moment and never stopping.”
The fish that sparked a movement. Trout this stunning and waters this wild make Bristol Bay a dream destination, and worth every effort to safeguard.
Skylar and coworker, Bob the bobber. Maybe he deserves a raise after catching so many Bristol Bay trout...
Advocacy Meets Adventure
A strong conservation ethic is important to Skylar. “When threats to fish habitat feel so immense, trying to do the best we can on our little corner of the world feels more important than ever.” Their lodge is run by solar power, and they keep their group size to six people to minimize impact. They’ve also broadened their options beyond just fishing, with alternative activities based around guest interests, with a focus on ethical wildlife viewing and low-impact travel.
Locals in Bristol Bay have fought against threats to their fishery for decades, flanked by millions of people from across the world who care for the resource as well. Skylar has long been a dedicated member of the Save Bristol Bay Guide Ambassador Program, a coalition of fishing, hunting, and bear‑viewing guides who share a deep commitment to the region. These ambassadors use their platforms not just to show clients the magic of Bristol Bay, but to invite them into the ongoing work to safeguard it.
Conservation-minded anglers and lodge owners Skylar and Chip Lamont pictured on their home water in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
Since the beginning, this scrappy, passionate community has gone by the same principal: “Relentless pressure, relentlessly applied.” Turns out there’s a striking similarity between building a remote lodge and building a movement. The process is the same; sometimes unglamorous, determined effort, motivated by a deep love for this very special place.
Learn more about the effort to safeguard Bristol Bay at savebristolbay.org.
Quick Facts
- Favorite way to eat salmon? Any kind of salmon brought to her by subsistence fisher, flyfishing guide, and previous “Faces of Bristol Bay” feature, Taty Zackar.
- Years fished in Bristol Bay? Nine.
- How to visit the Lamonts? Book a stay at Katmai Sky Lodge and keep up with their adventures on Skylar’s Instagram page.
- Fun item to bring fishing? Bob the bobber. When a fish hits the line and Bob goes under the water, the angler must “save” him by pulling up the line and setting the hook. Say’s Skylar, “Bob’s popular with children and adult clients alike.”
Loud and proud: The conservation ethic at Katmai Sky Lodge is hard to miss.
Trout Unlimited cares for the rivers you love to fish. Learn more about our work to conserve and restore fish habitat throughout Alaska at prioritywaters.tu.org/alaska. Tica Drury is Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Advocacy Program Manager.
For more conservation reading, check out Fish Alaska’s Conservation Blog for more.