Naknek Lake

General data

Name: Naknek Lake
Water system: Naknek River
Water type: Natural lake
Progression: Naknek River -> Kvichak Bay -> Bristol Bay -> Bering Sea -> Pacific Ocean -> Planet Earth
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Description

Naknek Lake is a lake in southern Alaska, near the base of the Alaska Peninsula. Located in Katmai National Park and Preserve, the lake is 40 miles (64 km) long and three to eight miles (4.8 to 12.9 km) wide, the largest lake in the park. The lake drains west into Bristol Bay through the Naknek River. The elevation of the lake has lowered over the past 5,000 years as it has cut through a glacial moraine, separating Naknek Lake and Brooks Lake and creating Brooks Falls about 3,500 years ago. The lake is famous for its sport fishing, supporting one of the largest king salmon fisheries in southwestern Alaska, though the king salmon are greatly outnumbered by sockeye salmon as well as pink and chum salmon. Large rainbow trout are also common around the lake, along with northern pike, lake trout and Arctic char. Brooks Camp is located on the lake's shore where the Brooks River enters the lake over rapids.

Rivers

Savonoski River

Esociformes - Pikes

Northern pike (Esox lucius)

Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts

Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus)

Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)

Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)

Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta)

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush)