NOTE: KARLUK LAGOON AND THE KARLUK RIVER HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR THE PAST SEVERAL SEASONS TO ALL SPORTFISHING FOR KING SALMON DUE TO A PERIOD OF LOW ABUNDANCE AND AN INABILITY IN RECENT SEASONS TO ACHIEVE MINIMUM ESCAPEMENT GOALS.  WE THEREFORE ARE NOT OFFERING TRIPS TO KODIAK ISLAND FOR KING SALMON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

June Kings in Karluk Lagoon Kodiak Island is a long way from the Kenai Peninsula but less than 2 hours flight time via float plane. The trip promises remarkable round trip scenery, delivery to passing schools of hungry tide-bright king salmon and maybe a close encounter with a Kodiak Brown Bear. There’s a lot to take in.

Karluk lagoon is located on the west side of Kodiak Island and is composed of a large protected bay containing extensive tidal flats and a primary channel running from the outlet of Karluk River to where the lagoon meets the Pacific Ocean.

Fishing from shore in an open bay with ever-changing tidal conditions and only relative protection from open ocean can present some challenges. While the Karluk sees very high number of King salmon, their presence in the lagoon is very tidal dependent. We catch these passing chinook on a variety of methods but the most consistent results come from utilizing a bobber and fresh cured salmon eggs and also casting and retrieving spinners. When timed right, the fishing can outshine the scenery and easily divert your attention from the foraging Brown Bear walking the beach a couple hundred yards away.

When to Fish: This fishery begins in late May and continues into late June/early July. The peak typically occurs sometime in mid to late June.