"Silver Slammin"- August 16th- 23rd, 2025
with hosts Josh Trammell and Katie Johnstone
"Septembows"- September 13th- 20th, 2025
with hosts Josh Trammell and Ryan Ratliff
Join us in Alaska as the guests of the Johnson family and their Naknek River Camp. Located on the Naknek River, one of the top rated fisheries in the the State! Our 30th season of hosting Alaska trips!
--Register for August-Register for September
Alaska Fishing Experience
Your week will begin at the King Salmon airport, where the Johnson family and guides will pick you up in one of their shuttle buses and bring you to your private, riverfront cabin. You will be served meals in the newly updated dining room with recipes from our head chef (Jim Johnson's lovely wife Phyllis). Her recipes can be previewed in her Alaskan Cook Book titled “Fishing and Feasting in Alaska”.
The lodge guide staff are licensed USCG captains that make their living as guides ‘year around. They have a fleet of comfortable jet boats to explore the waters of the Naknek River system in style. They include vacuum packing and freezing your catch as part of the package. They even throw in a trip to the world famous Brooks Falls and their photogenic bears at no extra charge.
Float plane day trips to other waters in Bristol Bay are available (at an additional charge) to catch rainbow trout, dolly varden, arctic char, grayling, pike and all 5 species of salmon.
We would love to have you join us for an Alaskan Adventure that you will remember for the rest of your life. Maybe you will even want to join our circle of good friends and guests that come back every year to experience the kind of week that only Alaska can provide.
Fish Alaska Magazine identified the Naknek as Alaska's #1 destination for trophy rainbows! That is a big statement, but we think you will agree that the river can live up to the claim. The average fish will still be in the 2-5 pound range, but there will be a realistic possibility of bigger bows - up to 36 inches long - almost every day. If rainbows are your target fish, the best time is early and late season. The Naknek is a big river that holds big fish- quite often in fast water. It is a great river for a switch or spey rod. The best rainbow fishing is close to camp. The rainbows concentrate on salmon smolt and leeches migrating downstream to the ocean.
Our "Silver Slammin" week focuses on chasing Naknek River silver (coho) salmon and trophy rainbows. King season is closed, but hard-fighting silvers will be abundant and smashing a variety of colorful streamers. Rainbows will still be chasing smolts, but beginning to transition to feasting on eggs as Kings and sockeyes begin to spawn. Bead fishing on both the main river and side trips will be full swing and produce big numbers of rainbows, grayling, and colorful char. Stripping streamers will consistently produce silvers. Pike fishing continues in main river sloughs. Lots of bears around on all waters.
"Septembows" celebrates the near end of the Alaska fly fishing season and the opportunity to tangle with the largest rainbow trout of the year on the Naknek River. In a river famous for its trophy trout, this is time when “in the know” anglers show up. Each Fall the Naknek produces rainbows pushing 20 pounds. These “coastal rainbows” travel the Naknek River corridor between Naknek Lake and Bristol Bay feeding heavily all season. By the end of the year they are at peak size and in prime condition. If you love to fish streamers and swing flies on both single-hand and two-hand rods for giant trout, you need to experience "Septembows"!
You fly into Anchorage, Alaska (ANC) then switch over to either Penair or Alaska Airlines for the final leg to King Salmon (AKN). We will look for you to arrive sometime after noon on the 1st Saturday of the trip. You will then fly the following Saturday back to Anchorage via King Salmon. You will be met by your host from Mad River Outfitters either in Anchorage or in King Salmon and we'll take over from there! Full travel info will be provided upon sign-up but trust us it's easy.
Included in the trips:
• 6 days guided fishing from jet sleds and walk-wade.
• 7 nights lodging in the Katmai Trophy Lodge and Cabins.
• All meals prepared by lodge and lunch on rivers
• Transportation via boat/vehicle from King Salmon to the lodge and back.
• US Coast Guard and ADF&G licensed guides
• All necessary flies and lures
• All terminal fishing gear, rods and reels
• Cleaning and Vacuum packing of salmon for flying home
• Linens, comforter, private bathroom with hot/cold water.
• Daily maid service
• Waders and wading boots are available but are limited in size.
Additional Information:
• You do not need to bring towels or bedding/sleeping bag.
• There are flies and lures for sale at the lodge if needed.
• Most of the rivers fished are single hook only.
• They do have a vacuum packer and can box up salmon to take home.
• There is full time power and an outlet in your cabin.
• Telephone and internet access readily available.
What's Not Included:
• Flights to and from King Salmon
• Fishing on Saturday
• Adult Beverages
• Taxes (approximately $161 USD)
• Fishing License and King Stamp
• Tips for staff and guides
• Fish Box or Cooler (insulated fish boxes can be purchased at the lodge for around $20)
Questions? Please, contact us we're more than happy to help!
Can't make our Hosted Trip dates? Mad River Outfitters serves as a full booking agent and outfitter for Katmai Trophy Lodge and Naknek River Camp. Let us put together a trip for you!
Naknek River Camp
Naknek River Camp was founded by our good friend Jim Johnson and the Johnson family. We have been working with these folks since 1990 when MRO's Brian Flechsig first started running trips to their Pere Marquette River Lodge in Michigan. The camp is right on the banks of the Naknek River, just below Naknek Lake and is about a 15 minute drive from the legendary fishing town of King Salmon, Alaska.
Although maintaining a "fishing camp" feel, you will find all of the necessary amenities and also find it very clean, safe and comfortable. Hard sided cabins, real mattresses, a porch to enjoy the sunset and a hot shower at the end of the day. Jim's wife Phyllis has a nice kitchen to cook in, a wonderful dining room for you to enjoy her great meals in. She also refused to wander around outside in the dark to find a bathroom in the middle of the night – she wanted a full bathroom with a hot shower, sink and toilet in every cabin, including hers.
Naknek River Camp meets all these desires, and added a few conveniences that some would never expect to have in the Alaskan bush, including wireless internet for all of the guests. (Thank you Elon Musk!)
We have road access to the towns of King Salmon and Naknek, medical services, a general store, groceries and even fishing and hunting supplies.
The cabins include towels, pillows and linens. Just bring your PJ’s, your toothbrush, your fishing gear and your sense of adventure. We’ll supply everything else.
The Naknek River Camp has created an Alaskan fishing adventure that starts with the perfect blend of rustic comfort and affordability and combines it with some of the best salmon and trout fishing that the world has to offer.
The vast Naknek River will transform your passion for fly fishing.
Fish Alaska Magazine identified the Naknek as Alaska's top destination for trophy rainbows! That is a big statement, but we think you will agree that the river can live up to the claim. The average fish will still be in the 2-5 pound range, but there will be a realistic possibility of bigger bows, up to 36 inches long; almost every day. If rainbows are your target fish, the best time is early and late season.
The Naknek is a big river that holds big fish- quite often in fast water. It is a great river for a switch or spey rod. The best rainbow fishing is close to camp. The rainbows concentrate on salmon smolt and leeches migrating downstream to the ocean.
Additional Fishing Opportunities:
• Rainbows on Brooks
• Grayling at Idavain
• Char in Margo Creek
• Multiple options for fly-outs
The Fish
Arctic Char and Grayling - These are year 'round residents and make great fly rod targets. Grayling are especially eager to rise to a dry fly in early season, making them an ideal quarry for a 4 or 5 wt. fly rod and a floating line.
The arctic char look a lot like brook trout, only larger. The best techniques for them are the same as for rainbows, so basically, anytime you are fishing for rainbows, you are also fishing for char whether you realize it or not. They spend a lot of time tucked in behind the spawning salmon, feasting on eggs, making egg flies their number one weakness.
King Salmon - There is a reason why these babies are called the Kings - nothing in Alaska grows to the massive sizes of a chinook salmon. They begin running in mid-June, continue through much of July and spawn in August.
Their eggs are also huge, (8 - 10mm) making king salmon eggs one of the very favorite treats for a trophy rainbow in August. Most people in Alaska fish kings with heavy spin or baitcasting gear, using deep diving plugs, spin-n-glows, or large spoons and spinners. They can be taken on fly gear, but the battles are epic and the angler loses the struggle much more often than he wins.
Sockeye Salmon (Red Salmon) - These are the best eating and most prolific salmon in the system, numbering upwards of 4 million per year. Everyone seemingly knows how delicious they are, but few realize that they are also tremendous fighters, especially on a 7 or 8 wt. fly rod. From late June through mid-August, they can provide almost constant action. Their huge numbers are the reason why this area has such an abundant population of rainbows and bears.
Chum and Pink Salmon - Chum are called dog salmon, because they are a favored food for the sled dog teams, but you will call them something else entirely as they nearly tear the rod from your hand and bust up your tackle. Some pink salmon will run every year, but the run is much stronger in even years. Both will be most effectively fished with streamers and both will run in July and early August.
Silver Salmon - Last, but certainly not least, is the silver salmon. These incredible game fish are easily a favorite salmon, getting large enough to put on a show and delicious on the table. They are also the most aggressive of the salmon, chasing streamers and even taking skating dry flies on occasion. They begin moving into the rivers in early August and the run continues on into mid-September. We usually use a fly rod in the 7-9 wt. range or a spinning rod loaded with 8-12lb mono.
The Wildlife
Though nothing is guaranteed, your week in Alaska will most likely feature some of the 'photo ops" that you would expect! Along with witnessing an incredible range of Alaskan wildlife, your week will typically include a tleast one visit to Brooks falls. Tours and hikes to the falls can be arranged and is HIGHLY recommended. We also fish at Brooks for rainbow and sockeye and this typically proves to be some of the most "exciting" fishing of the trip..
MRO Hosted Alaska Trips- 2025
$4995.00 per angler
Includes: Private Riverfront Cabin, All Food in NNRC Comfortable Dining Room, Transportation to and from the King Salmon Airport, A Visit to the World Famous Brooks Falls and River, World-Class Guided Fishing Trips Every Day on the Naknek River, Wilderness Float Plane Flights Available for Additional Charge
A full trip info and gear packet is available for download on the registation page and will be provided upon sign-up as well.
Please give us a call at the shop if any questions whatsoever!
614-451-0363