Naha River
Fly fishing in Alaska · Intermediate · Best seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall
Target Species
Steelhead, Silver Salmon, Cutthroat Trout
About This Water
Southeast Alaska stream near Ketchikan with steelhead and salmon. Scenic rainforest setting.
Fishing Recommendations
Welcome to one of the gems of Southeast Alaska. The Naha River, located on Revillagigedo Island near Ketchikan, is a quintessential coastal rainforest stream. It offers a spectacular "off-the-road" experience that feels deep in the wilderness while being relatively accessible from Alaska’s southernmost city.
As your guide, here is the breakdown of how to tackle this legendary system.
🎣 Location Overview
The Naha River is located approximately 15 miles north of Ketchikan within the Tongass National Forest. What makes the Naha unique is its geography: it flows from Heckman Lake through Jordan Lake, down a series of rapids into Roosevelt Lagoon, and finally into Naha Bay.
The water is "tannin-stained"—a dark, tea-like color common in Southeast Alaska—due to the surrounding hemlock and cedar forests. It features a mix of classic riffles, deep boulder-strewn pools, and tidal-influenced flats. Anglers love the Naha because it offers a true "river-to-sea" ecosystem where you can catch fresh, sea-bright fish just minutes after they leave the salt.
🐟 Target Species & Behavior
Steelhead
The Naha hosts a wild run of spring Steelhead. These fish are chrome-bright and incredibly powerful.
- Behavior: They hold in the classic "swing" water—tailouts of pools and the seams behind large boulders.
- Feeding: While they aren't actively feeding in freshwater, they are highly territorial and will strike out of aggression.
Silver Salmon (Coho)
Silvers are the stars of the fall. They are known for their acrobatics and willingness to chase a fly.
- Behavior: They congregate in the Roosevelt Lagoon and the lower river pools, waiting for rain/higher water to push upstream. They love "slow" water compared to other salmon.
- Feeding: Aggressive predators; they will move several feet to intercept a stripped streamer.
Coastal Cutthroat Trout
These are resident and sea-run fish that provide action all season long.
- Behavior: They are opportunistic. In the spring, they follow salmon fry to the sea; in the fall, they sit behind spawning salmon to gobble up loose eggs.
- Feeding: Fry patterns, terrestrial insects in summer, and salmon eggs/flesh in the fall.
📅 Best Times to Fish
- Spring (Mid-April – May): This is the prime window for Steelhead. The run is timing-dependent on water temperature and snowmelt.
- Summer (June – July): Best for Cutthroat Trout and Dolly Varden. This is also when you’ll find the best dry-fly action for resident trout in the upper reaches near the lakes.
- Fall (Late August – September): The peak for Silver Salmon. The "Silvers" start appearing in the lagoon in mid-August, with the river fishing peaking in September. This is also the best time for "beading" (egg mimics) for massive Cutthroats.
Pro Timing Tip: In the lower river and Roosevelt Lagoon, tide management is everything. Fish the incoming tide to find fresh pulses of fish entering the system.
🪰 Recommended Flies & Techniques
Steelhead (Spring)
- Flies: Egg-Sucking Leeches (Black/Pink), Intruder-style flies (Blue/Black or Pink/Orange), and Glo-Bugs.
- Technique: The "Spey Swing" is popular here, but given the tight quarters of the Naha, a single-handed 7-weight or 8-weight with a sink tip is often more practical.
Silver Salmon (Fall)
- Flies: The Dolly Llama (Pink/White or Chartreuse/White) is the undisputed king of Alaska salmon flies. Also, Hareline’s Coho Critters and Clouser Minnows.
- Technique: A "strip-and-pause" retrieve. Silvers often strike on the pause. If the fish are "stale" (sitting in a pool for a while), try a pink popper on the surface for explosive topwater takes.
Cutthroat Trout (All Season)
- Flies:
- Summer: Stimulators, Elk Hair Caddis, and Small Muddler Minnows.
- Fall: 6mm or 8mm Trout Beads (mottled orange or "dead egg" white) and Flesh Flies.
- Technique: Dead-drift eggs under an indicator behind spawning salmon. In summer, twitch a dry fly across the surface of the pools.
💡 Pro Tips & Local Knowledge
- The Lagoon Transition: The area where the Naha River empties into Roosevelt Lagoon is a "fish highway." If the river is low, the fish will stack up here. Focus your energy on the "choke points" during a rising tide.
- Don't Overlook the Lakes: If the river is crowded or the fish are spooky, hike the Naha River National Recreation Trail up to Jordan or Heckman Lake. The mouths of the creeks entering these lakes are magnets for Cutthroat Trout.
- Color Choice: Because of the dark, tannin-stained water, contrast is key. Black/Blue or very bright "Fluorescent Pink" often outperform natural colors because the fish can see them better in the "tea" water.
- The "Naha Twitch": For Silvers in the slow pools, give your fly a vertical jigging motion. Sometimes they need a change in depth to trigger a strike.
⚠️ Important Information
Access
The Naha is not on the road system. You must reach it by boat or floatplane from Ketchikan. Most anglers take a 20-minute floatplane ride or a 45-minute boat ride. There is a sturdy boardwalk trail (Naha River Trail) that parallels the river, making it very "hikeable" once you arrive.
Regulations & Permits
- License: You need a valid Alaska Sport Fishing License. If targeting Steelhead, you must have a King Salmon stamp (check current year ADF&G regs as this varies).
- Steelhead: Almost always catch-and-release only with terminal tackle restrictions (unbaited, single-hook artificial lures).
- Silver Salmon: Limits are usually generous, but check the "Southeast Emergency Orders" before you go, as limits can change based on run strength.
Safety: The "Tax Man"
This is high-density Black Bear and Brown Bear country. They love the Naha for the same reason you do: the salmon.
- Always carry bear spray and make noise.
- If you keep a fish, clean it at the saltwater edge or according to local forest service guidelines to avoid attracting bears to the trail.
- Be prepared for rapid weather changes—pack high-quality Gore-Tex rain gear regardless of the forecast.
Tight lines on the Naha! It’s a place that will haunt your dreams in the best way possible.
Bug Hatches & Matching Flies
| Hatch | Type | Peak months | Time of day | Hook sizes | Matching flies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) Baetis tricaudatus | mayfly | May, June, September, October | Midday | #16-20 | Parachute Adams #16-18, RS2 #18-20, Pheasant Tail Nymph #16-20 |
| Golden Stonefly Hesperoperla pacifica | stonefly | June, July | Afternoon/Evening | #6-10 | Pat's Rubber Legs #6-10, Chubby Chernobyl #8-10, Golden Rogue Stone #8-10 |
| Green Sedge Rhyacophila | caddis | July, August | Evening | #12-16 | Deep Sparkle Pupa #14-16, Elk Hair Caddis #12-16, LaFontaine's Emergent Pupa #14-16 |
| March Brown Rhithrogena morrisoni | mayfly | May, June | Afternoon | #12-14 | March Brown Western #12-14, Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear #12-14 |
| Midge Chironomidae | midge | April, May, June, September | All Day | #18-24 | Zebra Midge #18-22, Griffith's Gnat #20-22, Buzzer #18-20 |
| Little Brown Stonefly Nemoura | stonefly | April, May | Midday | #14-18 | Copper John #16-18, Early Brown Stone #14-16 |
| Black Carpenter Ant Camponotus pennsylvanicus | terrestrial | July, August | Afternoon | #12-16 | Black Foam Ant #14-16, Chernobyl Ant #12-14 |
| Spotted Sedge Hydropsyche | caddis | August, September | Evening | #14-16 | Hydropsyche Larva #14-16, Goddard Caddis #14-16 |