Alaska West Lodge

Lodging Details
Accommodations at Alaska West are in comfortable, sturdy-walled Weatherport-type tents, with carpeted wooden floors and heat. Guests sleep in beds with mattresses, and the main buildings and common areas have electricity. A separate drying and gear tent is provided for waders and other clothing, meaning you can hang wet gear at the end of each day and have it warm and dry by the following morning. Hot showers, sinks with hot and cold water, and outhouses are provided. The outhouses are cleaned and emptied daily. Overall the accommodations are very comfortable, warm, and clean.

Food and Beverages
The resident Chef, Robert, is a culinary magician. His résumé reads like a “who’s who in the world of fine dining.” The mouth-watering surprises created in this humble kitchen in the bush are truly amazing, and many long-time return guests contend that they will come back as long as Robert is cooking.

Typical Length of Stay
Standard fishing packages at Alaska West are seven (7) nights / six (6) fishing days.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
Alaska West is primarily a destination for those who fish and bringing along a non-angling spouse or travel partner is not recommended.

Internet / Communications
The camp does have Wi-Fi available. Cell phones will not work at camp.

How To Get There
Your trip starts upon arrival at Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC). Several major airlines serve Alaska from the lower 48 with connections direct to Anchorage.

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Upon booking, Yellow Dog and Alaska West will arrange a charter flight between Anchorage (ANC) and Bethel, Alaska (the cost of which is not included in your package). Your charter flight from Anchorage is through Ravn Air and departs at 7:35 A.M. on your departure day. Check-in is at 6:35 AM. You will make a quick stop in Bethel before continuing on to Quinhagak on a Ravn Air flight. Representatives from the lodge will meet you in Quinhagak and take you by boat to the camp, a trip of approximately six miles upriver. The flight returns the following Sunday and usually lands in Anchorage around 4:00 PM. The round-trip fare for this flight is approximately $850.00 per person.

Documents Required
Photo identification is required by airlines to purchase your Alaska Fishing License. Licenses can be purchased on the first day of your trip or online before your trip by visiting this website: Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes. 

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
Guests at Alaska West typically fish in pairs with a guide. Sturdy, 18-foot jet boats are used for transportation. Fishing is done both from shore and from the boat, depending on guest preferences and fishing conditions. Alaska West’s guides are excellent instructors, accustomed to working with both experienced and first-time anglers.

Wading on the Kanektok is extremely easy. With almost no rocks larger than your fist, older guests have no problem moving around the river. The Kanektok river provides a wide variety of fishing scenarios, ranging from large tidewater sections to small, ‘trout stream’ side channels – most within a 20-minute boat ride from camp. High numbers of fish combined with very fly-fishable water make the Kanektok one of the best spots in the world to target king and silver salmon on a fly rod.

The Kanektok flows 110 miles from its headwaters at Kagati Lake, through the 4.5 million acre Togiak Wilderness Reserve, to the Bering Sea. The river is home to the famous Alaskan “leopard bows” – spectacularly colored rainbow trout named for the amazing profusion of spots that cover their body (even their eyes are sometimes spotted!). These wild rainbows attain trophy size and are available throughout the season both in the main river and the many tributaries. Other resident species include Arctic char, Dolly Varden, and grayling. The Kanektok also harbors strong runs of all five migratory species of Pacific salmon: king, sockeye, chum, pink, and silver. A typical day of guided fishing at Alaska West is 10 hours long (8:00 AM to 6:00 PM).

Boats and Equipment 
Alaska West utilizes 18-foot, shallow-draft aluminum boats outfitted with jet-driven engines. Because you don’t have to fly out each day to experience great fishing, your angling hours will not be affected by poor weather conditions or low visibility. It is recommended that anglers bring all of their own gear and equipment, including rods, reels, wading boots, flies, and all terminal tackle.

Package Rates
Remember that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free! When you book a trip with Yellow Dog, you never pay more than when you book directly with the lodge or outfitter. All prices listed below are per person, based on double occupancy, and quoted in US dollars.

2023 Kanektok River Package
7 Nights / 6 Fishing Days = $7,750.00 per person* (Sunday – Sunday)

*Rates may vary depending on the week booked.

What’s Included:

• All Weatherport tent accommodations at Alaska West
• All guided fishing (two anglers per boat)
• All meals and non-alcoholic beverages
• Flies and lures
• Freezers for storing fish and preparation of fish for shipping

What’s Not Included:

• Flights to Anchorage (ANC) and on to Quinhagak, Alaska on a private charter flight ($850 round-trip)
• Alaska fishing license and king salmon stamp
• Alcohol is not provided
• Gratuities for staff and guides
• Global Rescue emergency medical services coverage (optional but recommended)

Alaska West (Kanektok River, Alaska)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
A non-refundable deposit of 50% per person is due at the time of booking for all lodging and fishing packages, and final payment if due 90 days prior to arrival. For cancellations, all deposits and payments are non-refundable. In no event will the lodge or Yellow Dog be responsible for any cancellation of services or operations due to inclement weather, any event of force majeure, airline delays or flight cancellations, or any other reason beyond the control of the lodge. The lodge will not refund payments in the event of poor weather, or if arrival flights are cancelled or airline connections are missed. Additionally, the lodge and Yellow Dog are not responsible for alternative travel arrangements including flights, hotels, meals and any other expenses incurred. For all of these reasons, and because of the lodge’s no refund and no credit policy, Yellow Dog strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance and full coverage for your trip. If a cancelled package is resold by the lodge, then a full trip credit will be issued by the lodge to be used at any Deneki property within a period of 12 months. If a cancelled package is resold by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be issued minus a $100.00 per person cancellation fee charged by Yellow Dog. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages. Once again, Yellow Dog strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance these Alaska packages.