brie l.
Yelp
Tucked away in a beautiful and picturesque setting of the remote Alaskan bush is one of the best full service fishing lodges you'll find along the Yenta River . The lodge is home to King, pink, sockeye, and silver salmon, rainbow trout and pike fishing in the summer season. Come the winter months it is an adventure getaway for snow machining in demand place to stay for one of the Iditarod checkpoints for Yentna.
The lodge is nestled 65 miles NW of Anchorage where you'll depart via a single engine plane flown by some well versed bush pilots. Soaring over the lush trees in your float plane in the summer you can get a feeling during your 40 min scenic flight over marshes and just low enough to see some wild life, just how great, and off the beaten path Alaska and your destination point really is.
Taxiing up and around the bend of the property you'll be greeted at the dock by the welcoming owners Eric and Shan Johnson, your fishing guides and lodge staff. Whether your there for just a day trip or staying over night for two days or a week you are immediately treated like family.
The hospitality is like any other 4 star hotel. Your bags are taken to your cabin and you are immediately given a tour offered beverages to your liking or efficiently helped with getting your fishing license on site there if needed if you're on a tight itinerary and there for a day trip.
Staying at the lodge is a superb idea. It offers brunch and dinner service with daily fresh made from scratch breads, cookies, biscotti's, herbs and vegetables from the gardens, local game meats and fish. Guests can enjoy the open coffee bar including hot teas, chocolates and local Alaskan coffee. Fruits, nuts and snacks are always available with an ever full cookie jar. The lodge offers Alaskan beers on tap as well as a variety of bottles or domestic and imported as well as a tasty wine list.
Each cabin comforts include northwoods decor, heaters, bunks and extra blankets and towels. Whether your stay is in the standard cabins or the Deluxe Northwoods you will be quite comfortable especially with a each one having their own full view of the lake and creek as they sit on the bluffs of the Lake . Breathtaking.
During the summers your days will include your 8 hours of fishing weather it be up early for the Kings, lazily enjoying an afternoon fish after brunch and a nap or back out at night after dinner to reel um in. You can enjoy the hot tub or sauna to warm up after your catch or join your friends upstairs in the new game room for a round of poker, ping pong, billiards, Wii, perhaps a board game of Risk or a pick from the large movie collection on the comfy couch. The game room library will impress any one of the book worm or researching type. It is full of Alaskan literature, and information on the history of the state, the natives, the pilots, Iditarod, gold, videos as well and everything Alaskan. Don't let it intimidate you. There are plenty of short reads too to glance through as you fall asleep at night to well round your Alaskan stay. If your looking for out doorys stuff or a bit of a stretch, and your not looking for your daily work out in the exercise room, try the trails. There is a variety of trails depending on your ideal length and style. Along these deep woods, quite serene trails you'll find all kinds of wildlife, indigenous mushrooms, thick lush bushes, tall trees, animal tracks, berries and waves of seasonal flowers. You can also jump in the canoe and take a paddle around the lake or up the rapids to explore many other lakes and see many types of fish, beavers, moose and otters.
You're friendly and knowledgeable fishing guide will set you up with all you need for your day excursions. From fitting you to proper gear, setting your poles up, or grabbing a cooler with beverages of your choice they are there to exceed your expectations. Whether you be a well versed angler here to fish Alaska for the first time or never touched a pole in your life, they will make you feel welcome to the sport and make it a fun experience. The ratio of guide to client is small so that you may receive one on one attention and direction. They are very encouraging and love to take photos for you of you and your catch. When back at dock you get a great opt. to take photos and weigh your fish at the Northwoods sign while your guide quickly fillets and packages your fish for you.
Owner and executive chef of Northwoods lodge, Shan Johnson delights her family and guests with fresh fish, her collection of family recipes, and produce from her gardens.v
