***More up-to-date and detailed town profiles and specific employment information about Naknek can be found at Alaska Job Finder. Unfortunately, our licensing agreement with AlaskaJobFinder doesn't allow us to use the most current version of their Alaska fishing job information.***

Please use this town profile only for general information, as some of the information may be outdated.

Naknek and South Naknek are located on the banks of the Naknek River and make up two-thirds of what's known as the Bristol Bay Borough; the third town is King Salmon where there is an Air Force base. This isolated area, widely referred to as "The Gateway to Katmai National Monument" and "The Sockeye Salmon Capital of the World," is home to the early-summer Bristol Bay drift and set net fisheries. Salmon harvesting and processing have been important to this area's economy since 1890, when the first cannery was opened on Kvichak Bay (pronounced kwee-jack).

Visitors to this part of Bristol Bay will find a flat, bleak landscape covered with tundra. Trees and hills are scarce and there are virtually no mountains to be seen. Add to this the fact that, during the summer months, the sunset occurs around midnight, and some people from the Lower Forty-eight might feel very out of place here. Nevertheless, there are just enough amenities to keep seasonal workers satisfied during their stay in June and July. King Salmon, thirteen miles down the road from Naknek, is the premiere destination for sport fishermen from all over the world. From here, people fly to remote lakes and rivers in the Katmai to fish for lunker rainbow trout, wild salmon, dolly varden, and other species.

All processing plants in this area are in Naknek, across the river in South Naknek, or a short plane ride away in Egegik (not part of the Bristol Bay Borough). As many as 4,000 temporary residents live in the area during the summer salmon run. The small Alaska Native village of Egegik, located on the shores of the Egegik River, is home to several processing plants and the famous North Line. On the North Line, hundreds of tightly packed boats viciously battle for space in which to lay their fishing nets to compete for one of the most lucrative salmon runs in the world. It's quite a scene. The town of Egegik has no paved roads, but it does have a bar and a general store.

Naknek Information

Borough population: 1,407

Location: Bristol Bay, 284 miles southwest of Anchorage

Annual precipitation: 20 inches

July averages: Temperature 52.5 F

Inexpensive lodging: D&D Restaurant & Hotel, (907) 246-4430; private bathrooms, above restaurant, two queen beds in every room; rates vary. Red Dog Inn and Restaurant, (907) 246-4213; rooms run $56/single, $66 double. Prices are higher during the summer tourist season; call for summer rates.

Camping: Free camping at the Parrviik Pelatekaqvik campground, across from the Peter Pan processing plant. It has covered picnic tables, toilets, and running water. There is a laundromat with showers about 1.5 miles down the road.

Airport: There are separate airstrips for each town in the borough. Most fly in to the larger airport in King Salmon, 13 miles away.

Bristol Bay Borough: P.O. Box 189, Naknek, AK 99633; (907) 246-4224

***More up-to-date and detailed town profiles and specific employment information about Region 5 including Naknek can be found at Alaska Job Finder. Unfortunately, our licensing agreement with AlaskaJobFinder doesn't allow us to use the most current version of their Alaska Job information. Please use this town profile only for general information, as some of the information may be outdated.***

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