Month: August 2023

Fishing Report Aug 16-23, Aug 23-30, and Aug 30-Sept 6 End of Season

Silvers ! Lots and lots and lots of Silvers! A perfect description of the last 3 weeks of the season.  The week of August 16-23 provided some classic late Alaska summer weather. Overcast skies provided great fishing conditions. A few sunny afternoons provided a perfect opportunity for guests to enjoy a hike, or a relaxing afternoon in the boat. All of our guests and guides reported world class Silver fishing throughout the entire week. Most folks filled their fish harvesting quota by day two!

The rest of the season was equally as impressive as the previous week, if not more so. With a mid week storm around Aug 26 came a rise in water levels, and a massive push of big Silvers! With that said, all guests were busily spending their days fighting feisty fish.  

As of Aug 30, Fall was in full effect here on the Goodnews. Despite shorter days and lower water temperatures, and another fall storm starting Aug 31, the Silvers continued to push in by the thousands. Boats were landing upwards of 80+ Silvers per day. We’ve had just an incredible Silver run this year, probably the best since 2019. 

We’re now closed for the season, but are busily accepting reservations for our 2024 season. If you want to get into some of the best freshwater fly fishing in the world,  just fill out the “Contact Us” form to get the ball rolling. Whether you are a returning Guest, or a first timer looking for an outstanding fishing adventure, we’d love to see you at the Goodnews River Lodge in 2024. 

Tight Lines!

Fishing Report Aug 2-9 and Aug 9-16

Silver season is finally here! The week of August 2-9 saw good numbers of Coho start to enter the river system. Fun was had by all, catching and fighting aggressive Silvers on both fly and spin gear. Two more grand slams came to the net this week, making 8 so far in 2023.  We had some very beautiful sunny days at the beginning of the week, but around mid week we experienced a typical August storm, and some clients chose to happily tie flies in the lodge, while others wade-fished close to the lodge with great success. The rest of the week was mostly overcast with light winds, and lots of fish. Water levels have dropped slightly , and water temps remain in the 50-55 degree range.

The week of Aug 9-16 proved to be an outstanding week for Silvers. Most groups were harvesting their daily limit before lunch, and continued to catch and release dozens more. Large pushes of Silvers on incoming tides made for world class fishing. We are seeing substantial amounts of Silvers staging up river as well. The weather was mostly overcast, with some pleasant sunny afternoons. Water levels and temps remain similar to last week, with the water not quite high enough to push the Silvers back into the sloughs, but high enough to create lots of soft pockets. 

With this kind of start to our Silver season, what will the remaining weeks of the season produce? 

Fishing report July 19-26 and July 26 – August 2

The week of July 19-26 was the annual “ Kids Katch and Kast” week. Overcast days resulted in very active fish. There was significantly less rain than weeks past, and water levels continue to drop. Many anglers were successful in catching King salmon. This week we saw our first handful of Silver salmon push into tidewater. We expect them to start coming up river in larger numbers over the coming weeks.  Two guests received the grand slam award , after catching all five species of salmon in a single day! Our guests  had no problem harvesting enough Sockeye to bring home. Guests also enjoyed catching playful Pink salmon on the fly. Despite ADFG Chum salmon closures , we continue to see large numbers of them in holding pools. Several chums were caught and released while fishing for other species. 

The week of July 26-Aug 2 was a very pleasant change in weather, with the second half bringing sunny blue skies. The water temps were sitting around or just under 55 degrees. An additional two anglers completed the grand slam again this week. We are seeing a great push in silvers , with each group catching several per day. Similar to last week, all anglers filled their quota of Sockeye salmon to take home. Pinks are also fishing very similar to last week, there are plenty around to have some fun!  


We have officially concluded our King salmon season, as they take their positions on the flats to spawn. This will allow them to fulfill their circle of life with zero pressure, resulting in great King salmon returns in years to come! And to that , we say “BRING ON THE SILVERS!” We are excited for Silver season to be in full swing shortly. Be sure to come back in a few weeks for the next fishing report. Happy Fishing!