Guided Catch & Release Fishing in Lake Clark National Park Alaska (Fly In & Boating)

Lake Clark National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Alaska. Based around the 40ish mile long Lake Clark, there's plenty to catch. During our few days there my husband and I were able to catch Red Salmon, Silver Salmon, Northern Pike, Lake Trout, and Arctic Grayling. Although we typically stayed in and around Lake Clark, we also did some fly-in fishing from Port Alsworth. 

​My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are plenty of travel companies out there, but these are my favorite websites and resources for planning an unforgettable trip to Alaska. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For flights, I recommend using Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use Expedia's easy-to-use platform to compare the best rates.
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To keep cell service if you're traveling internationally, I use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required), and NordVPN to stay safe while connecting to different wifi.

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator or Get Your Guide to find the best tours in the area.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Fishing in Lake Clark National Park

No matter where you go fishing in Alaska, you'll need to make sure you have your State of Alaska Fishing License. You'll want to pick this up before you head out to Lake Clark, and I recommend downloading the ADFG (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) app so you have your license available even if you don't have cell service. Once you arrive in Port Alsworth, the gateway to Lake Clark National Park, you'll most likely head out on a guided tour with whoever you've decided to book with.

​My husband and I went out on our fly-in fishing and boat-fishing excursions with Lake Clark Resort, which I highly recommend. If you want to bring your own  gear you can, however we were provided with all the fishing gear (like rods, lures, boots, and waders) through Lake Clark Resort - which made our packing much lighter and easier for us. All of our fishing experiences were "catch and release", meaning we didn't take any fish home with us.

Some of my Favorite Nearby Tours : ​

Fly In Fishing vs Boat Fishing

Fly In Fishing
​The first guided fishing experience my husband and I went on was a fly-in trip towards the Pacific Coast. Because we went out with Lake Clark Resort, all our gear and our lunches were all prepped for us and we didn't have to worry about a thing - except getting those giant fish. The day before, on one of our bear viewing trips, we had stopped in another spot for some Lake Trout, and my husband caught one within his first few casts! On our fly-in fishing day trip we took the bush plane out (with some amazing views along the way), landed in the middle of remote Alaska, went on a little hike, and soon enough we were fishing for Silver Salmon. Even though we had terrible weather, the experience went completely above and beyond our expectations. Every lure change was done for us, we were guided on where to cast, and every hook was taken out for us. Because we caught so many salmon, we didn't keep count, and getting to release each fish ourselves was a beautiful experience. Plus, we got to keep fishing for the giants until we were tired.

Boat Fishing
On our next day in Lake Clark National Park we went out on a guided boat tour from Port Alsworth. Because we had the boat all day to explore multiple fishing spots on our day trip, we were able to begin by fishing for Northern Pike, spend the middle of our day fishing for Arctic Grayling, and end our day fishing for Red Salmon. Even though we had a different guide from Lake Clark Resort, our experience still was as amazing as our Fly Out Experience. Every need we had was catered to, the views boating around Lake Clark were beautiful, and I even caught my Personal Record breaker - a beautiful 43" Northern Pike! On our second stop of the day we caught Grayling after Grayling, and then enjoyed our pre-packed lunches by a cozy bonfire that our guide made for us. Our last stop was at a little river leading to Lake Clark where we could literally see the Red Salmon we were fishing for - and they were a blast! Before heading back to Port Alsworth, we even stopped by a quick little waterfall hike to enjoy some more views before our fishing day ended!

Watch my Lake Clark Fishing Adventures here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 3 Day Port Alsworth Itinerary
-> Best Things to Do in Lake Clark National Park
-> Bear Viewing in Lake Clark National Park

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