Alaska

• Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
• Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges
• Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Innoko National Wildlife Refuge
• Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
• Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge
• Kenai National Wildlife Refuge
• Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge
• Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge Complex
• Selawik National Wildlife Refuge
• Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge
• Togiak National Wildlife Refuge
• Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
• Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

95 Sterling Hwy., Suite 1, Homer, AK 99603; (907) 235-6546. Office hours for the refuge's Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, 9:00 am-6:00 pm, 7 days a week in summer, and 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Tuesday-Saturday, in winter. Refuge is open 24 hours. Nearest community is Homer. Nearest highway is Sterling Hwy. The refuge encompasses off-shore islands and remote coastal areas, from Cape Lisburne on the Chukchi Sea to the tip of the Aleutians and eastward to Forrester Island on the border of British Columbia. Only the visitor center on the Sterling Hwy. in Homer is accessible by car. The refuge has more salmon streams than any other refuge in the country, but they are all very remote, short and not suitable for boating. The best refuge stream fishing opportunities for salmon and Dolly Varden are in the Aleutian Islands. The easiest access is by ferry or plane to Dutch Harbor/Unalaska or by plane to Adak. The best saltwater opportunities on the refuge for halibut, silver salmon and cod are the marine waters of Afognak Island, reachable by float plane or boat from Homer or Kodiak. Fishing is generally year-round, with the exception of some salmon. For more information, visit http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov/ and http://www.islandsandocean.org.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Canoeing and kayaking

Alaska Peninsula and Becharof National Wildlife Refuges

P.O. Box 277, King Salmon, AK 99613; (907) 246-3339; http://alaskapeninsula.fws.gov and http://becharof.fws.gov. Office hours, 7:30 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge is open 24 hours. Access by commercial air is necessary to King Salmon, Port Heiden, Kodiak and Cold Bay, and then charter aircraft to the remote locations of the refuges. These refuges are located along the southeastern 2/3 of the Alaska Peninsula, encompassing the Aleutian Range. All 5 species of Pacific salmon are available in the freshwater streams and lakes, plus arctic char, rainbow and lake trout, grayling, Dolly Varden, northern pike and burbot. Saltwater species include flounder and halibut. The refuges include numerous ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and estuaries. Becharof Lake is 290,000 acres. There is year-round fishing at the refuges. Airboats are prohibited.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Maps available / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

101 12th Ave. Room 236, Box 20, Fairbanks, AK 99701; (907) 456-0250. Office hours, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge is open 24 hours. Nearest communities are Kaktovik and Arctic Village. The refuge is especially noted for wilderness fishing on rivers from the Brooks Range Mountains, north to the Beaufort Sea. Species include Dolly Varden, arctic grayling, arctic char, lake trout and arctic cisco. Species from the Brooks Range, south include arctic grayling, northern pike, burbot, broad whitefish and, occasionally, Chinook, Coho and chum salmon. Fishing is year-round, but lakes and rivers are ice-covered for 7 months of the year. Access is by charter aircraft. For more information, visit http://arctic.fws.gov/visinfo.htm.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Canoeing and kayaking

Innoko National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 69, McGrath, AK 99627; (907) 524-3251; http://innoko.fws.gov/. Office hours, 7:30 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge is open 24 hours. Refuge headquarters is at McGrath, which is not located on the refuge. Access to the refuge from McGrath is by charter aircraft only, since there are no roads to or within the refuge. The refuge features numerous rivers, sloughs, ponds and lakes. The largest river is the Yukon River, which forms the western boundary of the refuge. The refuge includes a large portion of the upper Innoko River basin. Fishing season is open year-round, except for some salmon. There is excellent northern pike fishing. Other species include king, silver, pink and chum salmon, Dolly Varden, inconnu, arctic grayling, northern pike, burbot and several species of whitefish. Airboats are prohibited. There are no medical or emergency facilities available.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Canoeing and kayaking

Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

Box 127, Cold Bay, AK 99571; (907) 532-2445; http://izembek.fws.gov. Office hours, 7:30 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge lands are open year-round, 24 hours a day. Access is by commercial or charter aircraft, or by state ferry, April-October. There are no roads to Cold Bay. From Cold Bay, local access to a small portion of the refuge is possible via a local network of established roads. Refuge lands encompass numerous ponds, lakes, rivers and streams and extensive coastal estuaries. Specific fishing seasons vary. Peak period for salmon species is August-October. Available species include arctic char, Dolly Varden, steelhead trout and sockeye, Coho, chum, pink and some Chinook salmon. Saltwater species include Pacific halibut, flounder and Pacific cod.

Amenities: Food nearby / Lodging nearby / Primitive camping / Boat launching / Hiking and nature trails / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center

Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge

101 12th Ave., Box 11, Room 262, Fairbanks, AK 99701; (907) 456-0329; http://kanuti.fws.gov. Office hours, 8:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge is open 24 hours. Nearest highway is Dalton Hwy. Nearest community is Allakakeet. The refuge features numerous rivers, sloughs, ponds and lakes. The largest rivers are the Koyukuk and the Kanuti. Fishing is year-round (salmon are the exception). Excellent pike fishing is available. The principal means of access is by commercial or charter aircraft from Fairbanks to Bettles. Sixteen species of fish inhabit the lakes and rivers, including Chinook, Coho and chum salmon, which are common in the larger lakes and rivers, while grayling are more abundant in smaller streams. Catch and release is encouraged. Airboats are prohibited.

Amenities: Food nearby* / Lodging nearby* / Primitive camping / Bait & tackle nearby / Maps available / Hiking and nature trails / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center

*Summer only.

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 2139, Soldotna, AK 99669-2139; (907) 262-7021. Office hours, 8:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday; 10:00 am-5:00 pm, Saturday-Sunday. Refuge is open year-round. Good access roads. Nearest highway is Sterling Hwy. Nearest communities are Kenai and Soldotna. The refuge contains ponds, thousands of lakes, several major rivers and numerous streams. Estuarine areas limited to the remote Chickaloon River flats on Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet. Rivers include the Russian and the upper Kenai. Tustumena and Skilak lakes, at 73,000 and 25,000 acres, respectively, are among the largest in Alaska. There is good salmon fishing in the Kasilof, Swanson, Russian and Kenai rivers. Fishing is generally year-round, with the exception of some salmon. The Kenai River holds the world record for king and red salmon taken by rod and reel. Species available include silver, pink, king and red salmon, rainbow trout, arctic char, Dolly Varden, lake trout, steelhead, kokanee and grayling. Charter aircraft are available. Airboats and off-road vehicles are prohibited. There are boating restrictions. For more information, visit http://kenai.fws.gov

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge

1390 Buskin River Rd., Kodiak, AK, 99615, (907) 487-2600; (888) 408/3514. Summer visitor center hours, 8:00 am-7:00 pm, Monday-Friday; 12:00 pm-4:30 pm, Saturday-Sunday. Refuge is open year-round. Nearest community is Kodiak. Access to the Kodiak NWR is by chartered airplanes or boats only. Kodiak NWR is a roadless area with world-class fishing opportunities for a variety of salmon species. King (Chinook) salmon are found on the Ayakulik, Karluk and Frazier drainages only. Pink, chum, sockeye and silver (Coho) salmon are found in various watershed systems throughout Kodiak NWR. Steelhead, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and arctic char are also abundant. Fishing is year-round, except for some salmon. Most prime salmon fishing rivers are also Kodiak brown bear concentration areas, so knowledge of bear safety is critical. Airboats, helicopters, all-terrain vehicles or any other vehicles incompatible with wilderness areas are prohibited on the Kodiak NWR. Access to the Karluk River drainage by unguided visitors is conditional on carrying a limited entry permit between June 10 and July 15 and a registration permit the rest of the year. For more information, visit http://kodiak.fws.gov.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Maps available / Hiking and nature trails / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center

Koyukuk/Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge Complex

P.O. Box 287, Galena, AK 99641; (907) 656-1231; http://koyukuk.fws.gov and http://nowitka.fws.gov. Office hours, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday- Friday. Refuge is open year-round. The refuge has excellent pike fishing. Access is by commercial airline from Anchorage and Fairbanks to Galena, then to the refuge by charter aircraft or licensed fishing guide/transporter. The refuges encompass numerous rivers and sloughs, and thousands of ponds and lakes. The largest rivers are the Yukon, Koyukuk and the Nowitna. Fishing is year-round, except for some salmon. Available species include northern pike, arctic grayling, sheefish and king (Chinook), silver (Coho), chum salmon, Dolly Varden, burbot and several species of whitefish. Airboats are prohibited. Catch and release is encouraged.

Amenities: Food nearby / Lodging nearby

Selawik National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 270, Kotzebue, AK 99752; (907) 442-3799. Office hours, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday- Friday. Interagency visitor center hours, 9:00 am-6:00 pm, Monday-Saturday, during the summer. The visitor center number is (907) 442-3760. Refuge is open 24 hours. Access is by commercial aircraft from Anchorage or Fairbanks to Kotzebue. In Kotzebue, small commercial aircraft can be chartered to nearby villages or directly to the refuge. The two main rivers on the refuge are the Selawik and Kobuk, with numerous tributaries and sloughs. There are also 22,000 ponds and lakes and 2 large river deltas. The primary fishing opportunities are for arctic char, inconnu, chum, burbot, whitefish, grayling and northern pike. Inconnu weighing 40-50 pounds are not uncommon. Saltwater species include flounder, rainbow smelt, Arctic cod, saffron cod and starry flounder. Fishing is generally year-round, with the exception of some salmon. There are no facilities on the refuge. Airboats are prohibited. For more information, visit http://selawik.fws.gov/.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Information center

Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 779, Tok, AK 99780; (907) 883-5312; http://tetlin.fws.gov. Office hours, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. The visitor is open 8:00 am-4:30 pm, 7 days a week, May 15-September 15. Refuge is open 24 hours. Nearest community is Tetlin. Nearest highway is the Alaska Hwy. Tetlin NWR encompasses ponds, lakes, streams and several major rivers. Fishing is generally year-round. There is good fishing for northern pike and arctic grayling. Other species include burbot and whitefish, with lake and rainbow trout at specific locations. Small boat launches are located at Mile Post 1264, Mile Post 1256 and Mile Post 1249 of the Alaska Hwy. Airboats are prohibited.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Maps available / Public rest facilities / Boat launching / Hiking and nature trails / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center / Disabled angler facilities

Togiak National Wildlife Refuge

6 Main St., P.O. Box 270, Dillingham, AK 99576; (907) 842-1063. Office hours, 8:00 am-5:00 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge is open 24 hours. The refuge includes coastal bays and lagoons; hundreds of ponds, lakes and streams; and over 30 rivers. Anglers come from around the world to fish for Chinook, Coho, sockeye, chum and pink salmon, arctic grayling, rainbow and lake trout, Dolly Varden, arctic char and northern pike. Fishing is open year-round for most species, but the majority of fishing occurs June-September, when salmon are available. Some refuge waters are artificial-lure-only areas, and some have catch-and-release requirements for some species. Many saltwater species inhabit the refuge's coastline, but few sport anglers venture into the hazardous ocean conditions that are common in this area of the Bering Sea. The refuge has no developed facilities. Most anglers float the rivers or access them by motorboat. Access to the refuge is by aircraft, which can be chartered in nearby Dillingham or Bethel. Access to those communities is by commercial airlines from Anchorage. For more information, visit http://togiak.fws.gov/.

Amenities: Food nearby / Lodging nearby / Primitive camping / Bait & tackle nearby / Maps available / Public rest facilities / Boat launching / Hiking and nature trails / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center

Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge

P.O. Box 346, 807 State Hwy., Bethel AK 99559; (907) 543-3151; http://yukondelta.fws.gov. Office hours, 8:00 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. The visitor center is open 1:00 pm-4:30 pm, Saturday. Refuge is open 24 hours. There are no roads connecting Bethel to Alaska's largest city, but several airlines do provide daily service to Bethel. Fishing is generally year-round, with the exception of some salmon. Available species include all 5 species of Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, arctic grayling, northern pike, sheefish and burbot. Refuge facilities for anglers are limited and do not include any public facilities or cabins. There are a king salmon stamp requirements and catch-and-release regulations for rainbow trout for non-residents on certain rivers.

Amenities: Food nearby / Lodging nearby / Primitive camping / Bait & tackle nearby / Maps available / Public rest facilities / Boat launching / Hiking and nature trails / Canoeing and kayaking / Information center

Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

101 12th Ave., Room 264, Box 14, Fairbanks, AK 99701; 1 (800) 531-0676; http://yukonflats.fws.gov. Office hours, 7:30 am-4:30 pm, Monday-Friday. Refuge is open 24 hours. Access is generally by commercial or charter aircraft from Fairbanks. The nearest road access is from the Steese Hwy. and from the Dalton Hwy. The refuge straddles the Arctic Circle. The Yukon and Porcupine Rivers bisect the refuge. Other major rivers include the Black, Dall, Chandalar, Hodzana, Hadweenzic, Sheenjek, Beaver Creek and Birch Creek. Water is the dominant feature of this refuge, which contains 20,000 lakes, ponds and wetlands. Fishing is generally year-round. The refuge is known for excellent northern pike fishing. Other species include Chinook, Coho and chum salmon, Dolly Varden, broad and humpback whitefish, sucker, sheefish, burbot and arctic grayling. Airboats are prohibited.

Amenities: Primitive camping / Canoeing and kayaking