Katmai Lodge

My husband and I have lived in Alaska for 41 years, so this was definitely a Bucket List trip that we had looked forward to for some time. We booked the 3 Day Wildlife Package with my brother and his wife and stayed in the upper and lower quarters of the Eagle's Nest. Charmel was so helpful in getting information to us, answering my myriad of questions and booking our reservations. She even viewed the bear cam the day before our trip to Brooks Falls and adjusted our departure time to ensure the best bear viewing timeframe! When the staff greeted us upon our arrival I felt like meeting Charmel was like greeting a friend I had not yet met. Our bags were delivered to our quarters while we were given a brief orientation and outfitted with gear for our day of fishing. Our accommodations were very comfortable and the food was perfection. Happy hour was an especially great time as people came together after a day of adventures with stories to share. To top it off, guides took pictures of special moments of the day with their clients and all were shared on several big screens around the room. What a great way to develop that sense of comradery among virtual strangers. Rebecca was our wildlife guide. I have no words for the attention to detail she gives to ensuring that the trip to Brooks Falls was all you could hope for. Bob's (our pilot) parting words to us as we headed down the trail were, "Stay as long as you like." And we did! Visitors to the falls during this time of year are fewer, so we took full advantage. After each 30 minute viewing session, Rebecca would get our name back on the list and after a short wait we would be back on the platform watching bears. We were fortunate in getting 3 viewing sessions in before the weather began to turn and we decided it best to head back to the lodge. My husband is the fisherman. Me, not so much. My sole purpose of the trip was to see bears at Brooks Falls which was epic! But much to my surprise, the day of fishing was amazing! We are now planning a return trip to Katmai Lodge for the summer of 2026, but will be booking the 4 Day Wildlife Package. We are hopeful that our children and their spouses with join us in making family memories in this beautiful place.

5 months ago

Just come home from a few days at the Lodge and I can't say enough good things about it. The staff there are amongst the friendliest, most attentive and most capable of any place I have ever stayed. It felt like we were vacationing with extended family. The wildlife experience there was extraordinary, including one Brown Bear sighting on the river right in front of the lodge on our last morning and another seen from our boat alongside the river within 1/2 mile of the lodge. And a moose as well!!!! And our excursion to Brooks Falls to see the Brown Bears feeding on the salmon there was a once in a lifetime experience

7 months ago

Katmai Lodge is nothing short of extraordinary! Our adventure started with a breathtaking flight to Brooks Falls, where we got an up-close view of the brown bears—landing on the water was an exhilarating first that set the tone for an incredible trip. We saw bears on the beach before we even got off the plane! The next day, we embarked on an epic fishing expedition with our guide Colton, who turned out to be a fishing genius. Not only did he help us reel in some amazing catches, but he also whipped up a mouthwatering lunch right on the boat with our freshly caught fish. This trip has been the highlight of our Alaskan adventure, and we can't wait to share our unforgettable experience with everyone. Katmai Lodge is truly a must-visit for an adrenaline-packed, unforgettable getaway!

7 months ago

👍 comfortable pillows. Accommodation was not what I expected. |But Food was plentiful and excellent. Very friendly staff, very helpful , friendly and experienced guides. |The fishing was amazing. Took my grandson along also. Beautiful scenery,

6 months ago

This was my first fishing trip to Alaska and it was outstanding. Fishing at Katmai Lodge is an experience I will not forget. We were met at the landing strip and escorted to check to get our cabin. Our bags met us at our cabin after we had lunch and picked up waders and boots. We met our guide Ken and headed out fishing. Ken put us into position to catch coho and chum all week. After each day of fishing we cleaned up and headed to happy hour to relax and talk about our catch. Then we went to dinner which was excellent every evening. Reminded me of meals on a cruise. The staff went out of their way to make our stay great. I recommend Katmai Lodge for anyone who wants to salmon fish in Alaska.

a year ago

My family of 3, including my fish/fishing obsessed 7 year old son, stayed for their 3 day Wildlife Package, which includes one day fly out to Brooks Falls and one day of fishing, as well as a day exploring. It was an absolutely FANTASTIC experience. I can’t say enough great things about this place. ||The price felt like a great value considering that the charter flights, food, beer/wine are all included. The food was down home—think prime rib—and abundant. There was a 2 hour pre-dinner cocktail time when folks would hang out, eat snacks, and enjoy some beverages. And there was fish talk of course. We were with the nicest group of people. As a woman, I was seriously outnumbered on the guest side. I think there was one other woman there during our 3 night stay, but I felt very much at home and welcomed. ||Guest rooms were large, comfortable, and had good river views. ||To a number, the staff was warm and welcoming, but special kudos to our fishing guide Matt. We enjoy fishing casually, but had never been fly fishing before. He helped up learned to fly fish quickly, was just incredible with our son, and was just generally a great person to hang out with for the day. We caught our limit of sockeye (10 per person) and Matt prepared a bonus one as a barbeque lunch on the river. We climbed up on a bluff after fishing for the most amazing tundra and river views. On the river we saw brown bear, moose, and a fox. ||Our flyout to Brooks Falls using the camp’s float plane exceeded my very high expectations. Weather was a bit dicey with fog and low clouds, so we hung out playing games and shooting archery in the morning and were underway by late morning. Because we were close to the Brooks area, we were one of the few floatplanes able to get in that day—weather made it inaccessible from Homer or Anchorage so we had a less crowded experience and were able to have two sessions on the Brooks Falls platform (which is limited to 45 minute sessions). There are other viewing platforms further from the falls you can stay at while waiting that have good views too.||Make sure you build in some extra time on your itinerary the day of your fly out. There was rain/weather on our departure day—the charter flight couldn’t come in to the camp’s dirt airstrip, so we had a classic Alaska bush place experience of lots of waiting followed by rushing out to use the floatplane to fly to King Salmon airport where the charter flight would land and fly us to Anchorage. We got to Anchorage just before 6pm, despite the "scheduled" departure time of 10:30.||Prior to our stay, I had some hesitation staying a a "fishing lodge" as someone who doesn't consider herself a hard core fisher, but I am so happy that we ended up at Katmai Lodge and can't recommend it highly enough. |

a year ago

Katmai Lodge created an amazing adventure for us. My husband and I first went to Katmai Lodge 20 years ago for our 20th anniversary. We had a wonderful time and decided to return for our 40th anniversary. Honestly, it was even better this time. ||We are not experienced fishermen but our guide (Tom/Gully) showed us unending encouragement and patience. He didn't even roll his eyes when I couldn't hold onto my fish (slippery dudes) for photos, when my husband hooked his hat, or when we lost yet another lure or got a tangle. I was particularly impressed with his concern and respect for the ecology of the river and the fish. He was selective about which fish we kept--letting all the females go to spawn. The fish we kept were taken care of quickly and as kindly as possible...no fish bullies. We still took home 75 pounds of prime salmon.||It was easy to feel spoiled--all of the gear was provided, the guide enthusiastically celebrated every time we bent the rod, and he took care of all the gory details. He was willing to go the extra miles (yes, plural) including helping aging city folk across rapidly flowing waters and making sure we didn't fall. The river is marvelously remote, and being alone in nature sometimes means that nature "calls". Gully made sure that even that was as modest and comfortable as possible. ||He brought lunch on the boat every day. He always asked us what we wanted to eat but we often let him surprise us. Sometimes it was hot-off-the-grill and sometimes a charcuterie board--and it was always interesting and delicious.||We caught silvers, chum, and trout. He was encouraging in slow times, and celebratory in the bonanza times. He always said "this is YOUR vacation and YOUR boat!" . He was always "on", even when we were relaxing in the lodge. His job was about 18 hours a day, and it made our hours wonderful.||The hospitality of Katmai did not end with the guides! All of the staff was personable and engaging. Bob and Bruce would often sit in the lodge asking about our day (they happen to be the owners). If you had any problems or concerns, they were solved. Charmel is the everything/everywhere person. I swear that she must have a clone or two. She scheduled our visit and takes care of most of the organizational details and she is easy to work with as well. All of the meals are provided and are hearty and delicious. Crystal, Sharon, Nick and Kevin do a superb job--maybe too superb, now we have to go on a diet. Crystal was hilariously funny and made sure that we didn't leave without trying ALL of the desserts. ||The cabins are rustic and comfortable and there is plenty of hot water for nice, hot showers after cold, wet days.||We also enjoyed a couple of "fly outs" trips on the Katmai DeHavilland Otter with real water landings. Bob confidently flew us to Brooks Falls for close up bear viewing we, a real "must do" if the weather cooperates. Bob wants you to have a safe and comfortable flight. Bring a good camera because you will see a lot of bears at Brooks, up close, but safely. We also took an optional, amazing, and unforgettable flyout to go trout fishing up in the tundra, where there were bears and trout in abundance. Gully knew exactly how to behave around the bears and, while they were numerous and fairly close, they were never threatening. They bears have a lot to eat already.||If I could find one negative, it would be that the wilds of Alaska have lots of tiny bugs that can be annoying. So we covered up and wore bug repellant, but mostly we learned to appreciate that a little rain and a mild wind chase the bugs away. They were our friends as well. ||This was an amazing journey and adventure. The natural beauty, the wildness (yet with comfort), the quiet, the wildlife, the abundance of salmon, and the attitude of the staff make a Katmai Lodge vacation truly and experience of a lifetime, no exaggeration. We are coming again next year!|||

a year ago

We had a great visit. On our first full day, we caught our limit on Sockeye Salmon in the river near the lodge. The guides and staff did an excellent job.||We also flew out for bear viewing. It was great to see the bears fishing in the fiver falls! Bob is an excellent pilot; the flight was also a treat. J Morse, Bellingham, WA

a year ago