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The Togiak River: Alaska’s Fishing Paradise

April 12, 2022 By JD Leave a Comment

Southwest Alaska’s Togiak River is an epic angler’s playground. You can do it all here: From casting 4-weights to surface sipping grayling to battling big, fresh-from-the tide kings on conventional gear to stalking leopard rainbows behind spawning sockeye in clear tributaries. There are countless backwaters filled with aggressive northern pike and endless flats teeming with chums, sockeye, silvers and pinks. Throw in some jumbo dollies and the occasional laker and you have one heck of a full meal deal!

And it’s not just the different species that offer variety. The type of trip you do on the Togiak can be customized to fit just about anyone’s adventure-to-comfort matrix. There any number of self guided float trips ranging from a couple days to two weeks you can set up on the main river and some of the tributaries. You may also opt for a fly-in day of fishing on the Togiak with one of the many remote lodges just over the mountains in the Wood-Tickchik State Park area. On the lower river, there is some lodging and guiding available in the Village of Togiak and, if you like luxury in the wilderness, Togiak River Lodge is located approximately 7 miles upstream from the saltwater of Togiak Bay.

Togiak River Lodge is the only such facility on the entire river.

The Togiak system is a seemingly endless maze of tributaries, lakes and rivers that probably couldn’t all be explored in a lifetime. That’s exactly what makes it so interesting and unique — there’s always something yet to be checked out and fished. In an attempt to simplify things here, let’s break the system down into to two reaches: The “upper river” — from the mouth of the Pongopukepuk River up to the headwaters and the  “lower river,” which we’ll call the section that flows from the Pongopukepuk mouth to the saltwater. 

The Lower Togiak

While fresh salmon can be caught up by the Wildlife Refuge boundary near the mouth of the Pongopukepuk River, your best shot at chrome is down low — the 10 or so miles between the mouth of Gechiak Creek and the salt. The kings are the first to arrive and peak in June and July. They can push 50 pounds on occasion and there are lots of fish in the 20- to 30-plus pound class. On a few select gravel bars, fly fishing is an option but the best bet for Chinook is to fish from a boat and troll spinners, back troll plugs and bounce roe. 

Kings are the stars of the Togiak lineup.

Downstream trolling size No. 6 to 13 spinners right along the bottom is a popular way to catch kings in the tidally influenced lower 5 or 6 miles. Yakima Bait’s Thumpers, Spinner Dave’s Custom Designs and Good Day Fishing spinners in red/white or chartreuse and silver are good selections. As far as plugs go, Yakima Bait Co.’s Hawg Nose and 5.5 MagLips are good lures on the Togiak, as are K16 Kwikfish. Chartreuse/silver and silver/orange are two of the best patterns. If you have them, a sardine fillet wrapped on the belly of the plug will increase the amount of strikes

A chrome, spinner-caught king.


Chums start making a showing in late June as well and provide a great bit of fun for anglers looking for something to do after catching bunches of kings. The doggies come in dime bright but develop their signature snaggle teeth and vertical bars pretty quickly. They absolutely flood the lower river and anywhere you find some soft water along an inside edge — or a slow flat  — you’re virtually guaranteed to see large numbers of chum. 

On the fly rod, chums are a blast and respond well to pink leech patterns. Spin anglers can catch plenty of fish as well on 1/8- and 1/4-ounce pink or purple marabou jigs fished on a dead drift under floats — or on 3/8-ounce hootchie jigs twitched with a hop-hop-hop stye retrieve along the bottom. Plug pullers also catch plenty of chums on metallic pink or silver/chartreuse K15 Kwikfish and Wiggle Warts.

A shiny fly-caught Togiak chum salmon.

In July, silver bullet sockeye averaging 6 pounds pour into the river in almost incomprehensible numbers. Unlike the kings, they hang very close to shore and are easy to spot along shallow inside edges of gravel bars. Though conventional wisdom says you cant get sockeye to bite, Togiak reds bite really well on small pink marabou jigs fished under a float and tipped with fresh shrimp.

Togiak sockeye are biters!

August marks the beginning of the seemingly endless march of silvers into the bottom end of the Togiak. The fish push through in staggering numbers…and just keep on coming into October, with mid September being the peak. Togiak silvers can get really big too, with some bucks pushing the 20-pound mark. 

So, they are big and numerous…two traits sure to make anglers excited. But what really makes these coho fun is their willingness to bite with total abandon. Stripping pink or purple leeches with an 8-weight fly rod is a total blast and spin anglers can twitch jigs or cast No. 4 spinners for non-stop action. In the lower few holes, there are also a lot of days when fresh silvers will smack the heck out of surface plugs and Wogs. Heck, you could probably catch a bunch on a hot dog too…its that good!

Togiak silvers are big and mean!

On even-numbered years, the Togiak also gets a big push of pink salmon which can be so numerous at times that they can be a nuisance. When the are fresh from the sea, however, they can be fun for kids and beginning anglers to play with on light spin or fly gear.   

It’s not entirely a salmon-only show on the lower Togiak. There are some massive rainbows lurking down there. Fish to 30 inches and 12 or even 14 pounds occasionally show themselves. They are relatively few in number — compared to the upper river spawning zones — but the odd big trout is taken by anglers targeting other species.

In June and July, wave after wave of silver-bright dollies make their way up the river’s edges from the sea, bound for the upper tributaries where they will dine on salmon eggs and flesh.

The river gets full of dollies staring in June

The fresh char are aggressive and will smack small streamers and plugs or spinners eagerly. By August, most are well into the feeder streams, where they transform from chrome to vividly colored swimming works of art. 

Side-sloughs and ponds filled with pike abound along much of the lower river’s length. Some are accessible by boat, while others require sloshy marches through the tundra to reach. The pike are completely un-fished and tend to be very willing biters. Weedless topwater plugs, frogs and flies can yield super exciting fishing, particularly on warm evenings (wear a headnet!).The pike you’ll encounter are mostly on the small side, rarely topping 10 pounds, but they can be a fun diversion when your arms are worn out from catching salmon all day. 

The Upper Togiak 

This section of the drainage is the best place to chase rainbows as long as your arm and salmon sized char. They myriad of braids on many of the tributaries above Togiak Lake can produce phenomenal fly fishing for char, trout and grayling when the salmon spawn is in full swing. The Izavieknik River, in the section between Upper and Lower Togiak lakes is a good option for shorter float trips. The Ongivinuk River is another one with the potential for very large rainbows. The Pongopukepuk River is another excellent selection. 

You can boat up from the village of Togiak to Togiak Lake — or get dropped off by float plane on the lake and use inflatables to explore the area. The best time to visit the upper region is late summer and early fall. That’s when the salmon spawn is at its peak and the trout, grayling and char (and sometimes lake trout) will be gorging themselves on eggs and fish flesh as they gear up for the lean winter ahead. Salmon fishing isn’t much to talk about at the top end of the system — simply because the fish are generally all dark and more interested in spawning than biting. 

Up here, eggs patters are often the way to go but matching the hatch with various size and color beads isn’t as important as it is on more heavily fished waters. The finned inhabitants in this general area don’t see a lot of anglers and tend to be, bless their little hearts, pretty uneducated. I’ve seen 5-pound dollies climb all over each other to eat a 14mm hot pink bead fished behind spawning sockeye. That fake egg looked nothing like the real ones which were much smaller and lighter in color, but the fish didn’t care! You can find some occasionally good mousing up in the shallows upriver as well. Dry fly fishing for trout and dollies isn’t often spectacular but you can pound on grayling to 17 or 18 inches on small dries in the evenings. 

If you’ve got the itch to swing, black and purple Woolly Buggers and Egg Sucking Leeches will catch anything that swims — just watch out, you can lose a bunch of flies to big, red kings when they are around. 

If it’s fresh, shiny salmon you want, head for the lower Togiak, where all 5 species pile up in mind boggling numbers…

Bears & Bugs

When fishing any portion of the Togiak drainage, it’s important to be aware of the fact that there are lots of brown bears around. The concentrations are higher on the smaller spawning streams in the late summer and fall but you can run into a bear just about anywhere along the river’s length. A few moose also wander these parts, so be on the lookout for them as well. 

The amount of bugs you encounter can vary greatly from year to year — and where you are.  Mosquitos can be a pain early in the season and No-See-Um’s show up later in the fall. Just be come prepared with bug spay and a head covering for those bad days and you’ll be fine.

Access

There are several flying outfits that offer drop-off service to the Togiak basin. You can also book self-guided and fully guided float trips through outfitters or day fly-in trips from lodges like Tik-Chik Narrows, Mission Lodge and Bristol Bay Loge. Togiak River Lodge is the only lodge located on the river. 

Filed Under: Destinations, Where to fish Tagged With: alaska, salmon fishing, togiak

Alaska Fishing Paradise: The Amazing Togiak River

July 19, 2019 By JD 2 Comments

If you have never fished Alaska, it should certainly be on your bucket list!

The state is rich in salmon fishing hot spots, and the incredible Togiak River has to considered as one of the best of the best. Here’s a little action from my most recent summer of guiding up there…

Filed Under: Pure Entertainment, Where to fish Tagged With: alaska, rainbow trout, salmon fishing, togiak river

California’s 5 Best Fishing Lakes

May 22, 2008 By JD 70 Comments

Top-5-Fishing-Lakes-in-California
What are the best fishing lakes in California? Well, let’s just take a look…

My extremely unscientific formula to come up with these rankings took species diversity, average fish size, aesthetic value, length of season, proximity to other attractions and available facilities into account. I also employed the very technical and complex system of Rock, Paper, Scissors when there was a tie. So, without further adieu, here’s my list of California’s 5 Best Fishing Lakes (feel free to chime in, complain or add your favorite in the comments section below).

5: Clear Lake

It can be hot and miserable here and the water can look like split pea soup in the summer (a great time to fish topwater frogs, by the way. Learn how here). But when the hills green up and the water cools, there are precious few other places in the state to be if you’re into warm water species. Of course, the largemouth bass fishery is what has made Clear Lake a household name – and for good reason. Sure, the lake has its up and down cycles but when it’s on, it’s really on! Five-bass limits weighing 40 pounds and more are possible.

Clear-Lake-Largemouth-bass-fishing
Clear Lake also supports a world class crappie fishery that typically turns on in mid-winter and there are some absolutely huge catfish out there to boot. You can catch fish here all year long, though the spring and fall are the peak seasons. If you get tired of hauling in huge bass day in and day out, try your hand at trout fishing at nearby Blue Lakes.

4: Lake Almanor

Another beautiful lake with lots of cool fishing diversity! Into landlocked kings? Almanor is your place. How about chunky rainbows and braggin’ sized brown trout? Lake Almanor’s got plenty of those, too (learn the guides’ secret method for catching big fish at Almanor). As a sweet little bonus cherry on top, the lake also plays host to a very nice population of smallmouth bass.

Lake-Almanor-Brown-Trout-Fishing
Generally speaking, the trout fishing is best in the spring, winter and fall, though the action also heats up in early summer when the Hex hatch comes off. Speaking of that, fly anglers have been finding that the dry fly smallie fishing is also very good at that time. The scenery here is also a big plus and there are lots of amenities in nearby Chester — not to mention plenty of cool things to do in the surrounding area. A great spot for a family vacation!

For more info: Big Daddy’s Guide Service

3: Lake Tahoe

Tahoe-mackinaw fishing hot spots
What can I say? The surrounding scenery here is unmatched (duh!). Snowy peaks on all sides and that oh-so-blue water. Certainly, a trip on Lake Tahoe is well worth the price of admission without ever wetting a line — but it does kick out some amazingly good fishing, too. The mackinaw bite all year long here and can reach some impressive sizes – the lake record is 37 pounds! Trolling and jigging are the main methods of take. Check out our Mackinaw Jigging 101 article for tips.

Lake-Tahoe
Big rainbows to over 10 pounds and jumbo browns are also an option for topline trollers who work the rocky shorelines in the spring and fall. And then there’s the kokanee fishing which can be off the charts some seasons. In recent years, the koke fishery seems to be in a big upswing…and the fish have been on the large size. get fish spring through fall. Jigging for kokanee is fun and productive. And oh yea, there’s always something to do in the area if you get off the water early — skiing, gambling, mountain biking, kayaking, rafting, etc. Tahoe’s a truly wonderful destination and fishery, though boat launching is expensive!

For more info: Tahoe Fishing Adventures

2: Lake Berryessa

Lake-Berryessa Fishing Hot Spot
Close to the Bay Area and Sacramento, Berryessa ranks high for accessibility, but it is also quickly climbing the power rankings from a fishing standpoint. Over the past several seasons, it has consistently kicked out the state’s largest kokanee salmon and also treats anglers to some amazingly good landlocked king salmon fishing. The kings here can go up over 6 pounds! Can’t tell your landlocked salmon apart? Click our handy identification guide. Eagle Lake strain rainbows that average 3 pounds and fight like steelhead round out the cold water lineup.

Lake-berryessa-king-salmon
Catfish can go to 30 pounds here and the lake also kicks out some outstanding bass (spotts, smallies and largemouth) action. But it’s not just a numbers show – Berryessa has pumped out bucketmouths in the mid teens. Throw in some nice panfishing and you’ve got yourself a heck of a fishery.

Berryessa is also quite pretty – especially if you visit during the spring or winter months when the surrounding hillsides are green.

The Ultimate Guide to Steelhead Bank Fishing

1: Lake Shasta

Lake-Shasta-Spotted-Bass
This one was a no-brainer. The lake received high marks for diversity — king salmon, rainbow and brown trout, largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, sturgeon, bluegill, readear sunfish, green sunfish… well, you get the idea. Not only does Shasta host many varieties of fish, but often produces excellent action. Browns can get huge in here, the rainbows are often fat and the kings can reach impressive sizes. Lunker largemouths have been taken out of Shasta, though it’s getting a reputation for kicking out near world-record class spotted bass.

Lake-Shasta-king-salmon
Due to its relatively low elevation, Shasta fishes well year-round. Like most lakes in California, summer time scenery isn’t the greatest, but it’s beautiful fall through spring — especially when you get views of a snow-capped Mt. Shasta. Plenty of ramps and marinas make Shasta an easily accessed lake as well. And if the fishing peters out, you can always hit the Sacramento, McCloud, Pitt, Fall and Rising rivers for trout, Whiskeytown Lake for a bunch of different species or head east towards Burney for lots of other fishing opportunities.

 Honorable Mentions:

  • Diamond Valley Reservoir
  • Trinity Lake
  • Don Pedro Reservoir
  • San Pablo Reservoir

Related articles: Top 5 California Kokanee Lakes

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Where to fish Tagged With: best fishing lakes, california, clear lake, diamond valley reservoir, lake almanor, lake shasta, lake tahoe

Super Trout: The Donaldson Rainbow

April 4, 2008 By JD 7 Comments

amadorWhile I’ve never been a big fan of the hatchery “round-tailed” rainbow trout that get planted in waters throughout the West, I have to say that the Donaldson strain rainbows of Nor. Cal’s Lake Amador (and other places) are extremely cool “truck trout.”
Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Where to fish Tagged With: donaldson trout, lake amador, trout

Top 5 California Kokanee Lakes

March 6, 2008 By JD 3 Comments

Lake Berryessa Kokanee Salmon
What are the Top 5 California kokanee salmon lakes to keep an eye on in 2008? It’s an interesting question considering the Golden State is home to many excellent koke waters.
Click here to read more…

Filed Under: Best of FishwithJD, Destinations, Where to fish Tagged With: bullards bar reservoir, california, don pedro reservoir, kokanee salmon, lake berryessa, new melones reservoir, sep hendrickson, sep's pro fishing, Where to fish, whiskeytown lake

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