World-Class Fisheries
The Ridge is known for its central location in the famed Bristol Bay region. We use floatplanes, jet boats, and rafts to access North America’s finest waters, undisturbed and teeming with native fish of all kinds.
We are passionate about prioritizing our guests’ fishing experience.
Our experienced guides know the waters inside and out. While many fishing guides are just average or even mediocre, the best bring passion, expertise, and patient instruction to make every day exceptional. At The Ridge, we take guiding seriously. Our guests benefit from not only consistent, successful days on the water but also a deeper understanding and appreciation for fly fishing.
Our program produces.
Even in Alaska, the fishing doesn’t just take care of itself. Not only do we have floatplane access to 25+ unique fishing stretches, but we also know exactly where to be, when. The migratory fish we are after do present a level of unpredictability, which is why we love them. Most lodges are not up to the task of responding to Alaska’s ever-changing variables in order to stay on the fish.
The Ridge is small, but we are not alone. We are part of a larger company of nearby fishing lodges. With collective fishing reports and strategic planning, our network maximizes productive fisheries for our guests while also spreading out fishing pressure,
We are passionate about prioritizing our guests’ fishing experience.
Our experienced guides know the waters inside and out. While many fishing guides are just average or even mediocre, the best bring passion, expertise, and patient instruction to make every day exceptional. At The Ridge, we take guiding seriously. Our guests benefit from not only consistent, successful days on the water but also a deeper understanding and appreciation for fly fishing.
Our program produces.
Even in Alaska, the fishing doesn’t just take care of itself. Not only do we have floatplane access to 25+ unique fishing stretches, but we also know exactly where to be, when. The migratory fish we are after present a level of unpredictability, which is why we love them. Most lodges are not up to the task of responding to Alaska’s ever-changing variables in order to stay on the fish.
The Ridge is small, but we are not alone. We are part of a larger company of nearby fishing lodges. With collective fishing reports and strategic planning, our network maximizes productive fisheries for our guests while also spreading out fishing pressure,
R.L. Winston Preferred Lodge
One of Only Nine Worldwide
A vast diversity of water…
fished in a variety of ways:
Fly-out fishing.
Floatplanes bring an added level of adventure in the roadless Alaskan bush. Floatplanes provide access to the upper stretches of The Copper, the designated Trophy Trout tributaries of Lake Iliamna, as well as the many famous streams of nearby Katmai National Park. The majority of our flights are less than 30 minutes, though we do fly further when necessary.
Our guests are always impressed with the distinct experiences provided by each of the many rivers within only an 80 mile radius of the lodge. Some streams are accessed with rafts, packed into the plane and inflated for the day’s float. We have several Jon boats stashed on rivers and lakes around the region. For anglers that enjoy walk-wading, we also fish several small streams that are home to shockingly large trout.
A vast diversity of water…
fished in a variety of ways.
Fly-out fishing.
Our DeHavilland Beaver and Cessna 185 floatplanes bring an added level of adventure in the roadless Alaskan bush. Floatplanes provide access to the upper stretches of The Copper, the designated Trophy Trout tributaries (& The Kvichak outlet river) of Lake Iliamna, as well as the many famous streams of nearby Katmai National Park. The majority of our flights are less than 30 minutes, though we do fly further when necessary.
Our guests are always impressed with the distinct experiences provided by each of the many rivers within only an 80 mile radius of the lodge. Some streams are accessed with rafts, packed into the plane and inflated for the day’s float. We have several Jon boats stashed on rivers and lakes around the region. For anglers that enjoy walk-wading, we also fish several small streams that are home to shockingly large trout.
There’s no place like our home river.
The Copper River flows into Alaska’s largest lake just a couple miles downstream of our lodge. 77 miles across, and over 1,000 feet deep, Lake Iliamna is a place surrounded by legend and mystique. Locals have claimed the existence of a “Lake Monster” in its depths for generations… So far, it’s only been confirmed that Iliamna supports a monstrous population of large rainbow trout that migrate into its tributary streams.
Each of the rivers that flow into Lake Iliamna are truly exceptional trout streams, but anglers that have experienced them all will tell you that the Copper is in a class of its own. Year after year, the Copper has proven to be our most consistently productive fishery throughout the 4-month season. Whether our guests focus on fishing dry flies in June and July, fill their cooler with filets when the sockeyes arrive, drift egg patterns under an indicator in August, or dedicate their week to swinging for late-season trout with Spey rods, the Copper has become a favorite for many.
Jet-boating The Copper.
After a brief ride down the hill in our 6-seater side-by-side, our guests load into jet boats and head upstream for the day’s adventure. The boat ride alone is worth the price of admission. Shallow gravel bars and boulder-strewn rapids are ascended with careful precision by USCG licensed captains, propelled upstream by a jet outboard motor, best described as a gas powered firehose. Keep your eyes out for all kinds of wildlife, including brown bears, golden and bald eagles, maybe even a lynx: Alaska’s native wildcat.
We don’t fish from these jet boats, but instead park them on gravel bars to wade. The Copper has many easily wadeable riffles, runs, and buckets. Having the ability to move up and down the river in a jet boat, accessing beautiful sections of trout water one after another, make for some very productive days of fishing.
There’s no place like our home river.
The Copper River flows into Alaska’s largest lake just a couple miles downstream of our lodge. 77 miles across, and over 1,000 feet deep, Lake Iliamna is a place surrounded by legend and mystique. Locals have claimed the existence of a “Lake Monster” in its depths for generations… So far, it’s only been confirmed that Iliamna supports a monstrous population of large rainbow trout that migrate into its tributary streams.
Each of the rivers that flow into Lake Iliamna are truly exceptional trout streams, but anglers that have experienced them all will tell you that the Copper is in a class of its own. Year after year, the Copper has proven to be our most consistently productive fishery throughout the 4-month season. Whether our guests focus on fishing dry flies in June and July, fill their cooler with filets when the sockeyes arrive, drift egg patterns under an indicator in August, or dedicate their week to swinging for late-season trout with Spey rods, the Copper has become a favorite for many.
Jet-boating The Copper.
After a brief ride down the hill in our 6-seater side-by-side, our guests load into jet boats and head upstream for the day’s adventure. The boat ride alone is worth the price of admission. Shallow gravel bars and boulder-strewn rapids are ascended with careful precision by USCG licensed captains, propelled upstream by a jet outboard motor, best described as a gas powered firehose. Keep your eyes out for all kinds of wildlife, including brown bears, golden and bald eagles, maybe even a lynx: Alaska’s native wildcat.
We don’t fish from these jet boats, but instead park them on gravel bars to wade. The Copper has many easily wadeable riffles, runs, and buckets. Having the ability to move up and down the river in a jet boat, accessing beautiful sections of trout water one after another, make for some very productive days of fishing.