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long float trip
Posted by Danod on Feb 11 2006
A few things. No lake trout in the Wood River lakes system. It is one system you could probably spend a month floating but that can be a LONG time. I agree a cataraft is no fun in a breeze on those big lakes. Also you might not start until mid June depending on when the upper lake thaws. Might be early this year given our weather.
Call Jason Dye, Craig Schwanke, or Troy at ADFG Dillingham 907-842-2427 for information and /or check out the ADFG Bristol Bay sport fish web site. They have a lot of info. Check out the Wood Tikchik State Park web site for camping regs etc. I can't remember if there is a limit to how long you can camp in one spot. Some rivers have limits - especially the ones in the Togiak Refuge. You have to move at least one mile after 3-5 days. Likely you'll want to anyway.
There's a book by Karen Jettmar about floating Alaskan River - lots of good info but check to be sure she lists the right maps. I've found mistakes - don't find out once you're on the water.
Seems like I heard some rumor about Freshwater Adventures but can't remember what. Rick Grant's Tikchik Airventures and Tom Schlagel's Bay Air both have Beavers on floats and both are good operators.
Don't plan to live on the fish you catch. I've met a couple parties that were sick of eating only oatmeal, pancakes or rice and maybe fish. In some cases folks were pretty hungry and running out of food. Friend of mine spent 6 weeks canoeing the Wood R. Lakes doing some assessment work. By the end he could eat a whole big pike in one meal and still feel starved. Plan to carry most of your food.
You might consider starting in the Tikchik lakes and work your way down to Portage Creek near Dillingham. Some of the upper lakes take quite a while to thaw. The portage around the Nuyakuk Falls would be pretty easy with a raft. Another guy and I come-alonged an 18 aluminum flat skiff down it. If you timed it right you should be able to have king salmon along the way. You could resupply at the villages, especially New Stuyahok - they have a nice store. You'd need a camp permit from the villages from Koliganek down but they run a reasonable system and you could set that up before leaving from Dillingham. Wind on the lower Nushagak can be a real challenge, especially if its upriver.
Or you could fly out of Kenai or Iliamna to the upper reaches of the Mulchatna and float down to Portage Creek.
In all of these you WILL see people, quite a few. But that is the case almost anywhere.
I haven't done American Cr but it can be a rough one. Its bear city when the salmon are in - and jungly I hear.
Remember there are tons of folks all scouring Alaska for the wilderness river where they'll be the only one for miles and miles. Some are pretty lonely but most have a bit of traffic. Some have a lot. Most folks are happy with a 7 to 21 day float.
Good luck.
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