2025 End of Season Report

2025 did not disappoint. Thank you to everyone who joined us this summer. So many great memories were made and incredible fish were caught.

The Silvers showed up in astounding numbers right from the start. There was hardly any downtime between the Chrome Kings in July and the Chrome Silvers that began running before the month was over. By late August heavy rains returned, bringing water levels back up and creating perfect conditions for sight fishing in the sloughs which is always a favorite. Guests also enjoyed topwater popper fishing for Silvers which is always a thrilling experience.

While our Dolly Varden season typically tapers off by mid August, we still saw some impressive big ones as Silvers and Sockeye began spawning in the lower river. Toward the end of the season, guests ventured far upriver chasing Silvers and soaking in the stunning scenery. Exploring the different stretches of the Goodnews River by boat always offers a fresh perspective. One group even reported landing over 50 Silvers on the final day, September 10th.

2025 also delivered an incredible year for wildlife sightings including bears, moose, caribou, wolves, eagles and more.

All in all, 2025 was a historic season for many reasons and we cannot wait to see what 2026 brings!

August 6-20, 2025 Fishing Report

SILVERS ARE IN!!

We have been seeing HUGE numbers of Silver Salmon the last two weeks. Clients have been landing dozens of fish every day. The run is continuing to develop, and we expect to hit the peak in the next 7-10 days. The Silvers will continue to run well into September, providing ample opportunity for guests to be up to their armpits in fish for the rest of the season!

The Dolly fishing has continued to be nothing short of incredible. Folks have been heading upriver during their stay for non stop light line action. 

The Sockeyes, Chums and Pinks have all made their way in and are parked up river in their spawning grounds.

We received several consecutive days of precipitation over the last two weeks, providing a bump in water levels and drop in water temps. This has provided great conditions for the Silvers to thrive in. We typically see heavy rains in mid to late August, so we are anticipating more water over the coming weeks. This will provide the great slough and soft water Silver fishing we all know and love! 

Tune in two weeks from now for more updates on the Silver Madness happening here at The Goodnews River Lodge!

July 23 – August 6, 2025 Fishing Report

SILVERS ARE IN!!

We have been seeing HUGE numbers of Silver Salmon the last two weeks. Clients have been landing dozens of fish every day. The run is continuing to develop, and we expect to hit the peak in the next 7-10 days. The Silvers will continue to run well into September, providing ample opportunity for guests to be up to their armpits in fish for the rest of the season!

The Dolly fishing has continued to be nothing short of incredible. Folks have been heading upriver during their stay for non stop light line action.

The Sockeyes, Chums and Pinks have all made their way in and are parked up river in their spawning grounds.

We received several consecutive days of precipitation over the last two weeks, providing a bump in water levels and drop in water temps. This has provided great conditions for the Silvers to thrive in. We typically see heavy rains in mid to late August, so we are anticipating more water over the coming weeks. this will provide the great slough and soft water Silver fishing we all know and love!

Tune in two weeks from now for more updates on the Silver Madness happening here at The Goodnews River Lodge!

July 9-23, 2025 Fishing Report

The Last two weeks of King season were an absolute blast! We saw huge chrome fish all the way to the finish line. Our biggest King of the season goes to Cait last week, weighing just under 40 lbs!
At the peak of the Sockeye run, guests have filled their boxes to take home and enjoy. Chums have continued to run dime bright and aggressive as ever, a great fight on a fly rod. We have not seen a great number of Pinks in 2025, typical for an odd numbered year.

Our first Silvers were caught around July 20-21, we are seeing more and more of them every day.

The Dolly Varden have begun to follow the Sockeye up the river, and the light line fishing has been a hit. Many great Rainbow and Grayling have been caught as well.

Air and Water Temperatures have remained cool with frequent showers. We are expecting the water levels to rise with rain as they typically do in August. We have just kicked off our annual Kids Week, getting ready for some great fun. Check back in two weeks for pictures from the Dredge hike and MORE FISH!

June 18-25, 2025 Fishing Report

We have just finished up with our first week of the season, many fish were caught and great times were had by all! We are pleased to see this many Kings in our first week, that’s Goodnews! As the days go on, more and more King Salmon will enter the Goodnews River in full force. We are anticipating an epic King Season.

The weather in Goodnews Bay has been mild the last few weeks, but storms have arrived in the past 36 hours. This will provide the oxygen rich environment Salmon thrive in. The current water levels are below average. If we know one thing, it is that it likes to rain in Alaska! We are hoping for the coming storms to bring us up to a more typical water level. The water temps have cooled recently due to the rain showers. This is great for the fish, as they can make a quicker recovery, and make them more active! The water clarity is excellent. Our guides have been tying on smaller sparse flies in these conditions with good results, think Squidro and other sparse intruder flies with dubbing, rubber legs and dumbbell eyes. Tune into our website every two weeks for an updated fishing report, you can find it with the link below. Please enjoy all the wonderful pictures taken this week!”

Fishing Report July 31 – August 14, 2025

The fishing on the Goodnews has been nothing short of incredible lately. With Silvers coming in hoards, our guests are busy hooking up on dozens of them every day. 

Water temperatures have remained optimal for Salmon fishing, in the mid to low 40’s. We experienced a large rainfall of about 1.5”, bringing the water levels up. This made for a great push of Silvers into the sloughs with great popper fishing. Many of our clients are now landing upwards of 20-30 silvers per day, with some landing 40-50. We are seeing more and more Silvers enter the river, and the fishing keeps getting better and better.  We would like to congratulate the three clients that complete the Grand Slam these weeks! 

With more rain in the forecast, the water levels are expected to rise even higher. This should bring even more Silvers in, and the slough fishing will be world class. We are very excited to enter the peak of the Coho run in the next week or so. Being fully booked for the rest of the season, we are anticipated a lot of fish and a lot of fun!

Tune in bi weekly for fishing reports on the Goodnews River

Fishing Report July 17-31, 2024

The last week of King season brought lots of sunshine and great weather. Water levels decreased, and water temperatures remained in the low to mid 50’s. With the last of the big Kings entering the river, we were able to catch several throughout the week. We have seen huge amounts of Sockeye, Chums and Pinks  continue to enter the river.

The week of July 24-31 was our annual Kids Week. Two of our clients were able to secure a Grand Slam, way to go! Guests enjoyed Dolly fishing, catching endless amounts of Chums and Pinks, as well as a scenic hike to the dredge. We received about an inch of rain mid week, bringing the water levels back up. The water clarity remains good despite the recent rain. We are pleased to announce that the first Silvers were caught this week, bringing on the Silver madness! We are anticipating a great week ahead, with more Silvers and Grand Slams. 

Tune in bi-weekly for our fishing reports, and see what we are up to at the lodge.

Fishing Report July 3-17, 2024

We have reached the peak of our King Season. Consistent rain has caused the water levels to rise, and an abundance of King Salmon to come in. All of our clients were happy hooking up on large fish, as well as many adolescent Chinook. We are continuing to see huge numbers of Chum, Sockeye and Pinks. There were several reports of Dolly Varden caught these weeks as well.  Water temperatures remain in the low to mid 40’s, creating a thriving environment for the fish. We are heading into our last week of King season, followed by our annual “Kids Week”. Many are patiently awaiting the first Silver so Grand Slam season can officially begin! A big thanks to all of you that joined us for 2024 Kings, we are excited to see you again next year.

Fishing Report June 19 – July 3, 2024

We have just completed our first two weeks of the 2024 season! Things have been business as usual on the Goodnews River. Clients report catching several Kings over 30 lbs, with plenty of adolescent Kings around to keep things fun. We experienced a few sunny days the week of June 19-26, followed by much needed rain showers and overcast weather. Water temperatures have been holding steady between 44-48 degrees. We are seeing more and more Kings come into the river every day, including abundant numbers of Sockeye and Chum. Rainbow and Grayling fishing has been exceptional, we have enjoyed fishing for them before our season gets into full swing. 

Tune in throughout the season to catch up on the current fishing report on the Goodnews River. Reports will be posted biweekly.

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!