Trip Planning: Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much do we get to fish? You can fish as often as you want. Generally clients fish from the rafts during the day while we float the river and then they fish around camp each morning and evening.
  • What is included in the standard float trip package? All fishing tackle, waders, boots, meals, beer and wine, camping equipment (tents, sleeping pads and bags), dry bags to pack your personal item into for the float, guides, rafts, float plane flights to and from Anchorage. Basically everything you need for 6 days / 5 nights in the wilderness except your personal clothes/items, Alaska fishing license, gratuity and hard liquor.
  • What does our transition from Anchorage to our raft trip look like? If you are not staying at Wilderness Place Lodge the night prior to your float trip, you will arrive in Anchorage and likely spend the night at a hotel before you arrange to arrive at Rust's Flying Service the morning of the float trip. You will either be met at your hotel or at Rust's to size waders and be given some instruction on packing your dry bag by a representative of Lake Creek River Guides/Wilderness Place Lodge. Any valuables or clothing that you wish to have accessible at the end of the float trip will be taken to Wilderness Place Lodge at the confluence of Lake Creek and the Yentna river(our raft trip take out) and be looked after in a secure environment. You will then fly directly to Lake Chelatna, where your guides have arrived on the previous day and will be waiting with the rafts rigged and ready for our adventure! On select trips you may arrive on the same day that we are preparing gear. We then depart on our raft trip; each trip will vary with regard to distance travelled each day. This is determined by the fishing, the weather and the desires of the group. After a minimum of six days with us, we will arrive at Wilderness Place Lodge (the confluence of Lake Creek and the Yentna river), where we will commence our derig. This is the time to fillet fish, unpack dry bags, shower, eat and have a beer before boarding your return flight to in Anchorage. Select trips opt to remain at the lodge for an additional night (or more), then return to Anchorage to begin the journey home.
  • What are the sleeping arrangements? On a standard float we provide 1 tent per 2 clients. We also supply a sleeping pad, sleeping bag and a small camping pillow to each client. Gear boat trips include camp cots and other comforts that we cannot fit in our rafts on a standard float trip.
  • Can we do a longer float? Our standard float trip takes 6 days/5 nights to cover over 60 river miles. 6 days may seem like a long time but given we need to be covering a minimum of 10 river miles per day, some clients find the float goes too fast. Almost all our returning clients choose to do customized longer floats with a gear boat; they can enjoy the river and fishing at a more leisurely pace with bottled wine and extra comforts. We can do up to 11 days on the water with a gear boat and can do up to seven days without a gear boat. Extended trips and gear boats incur additional costs.
  • What is the advantage of having a gear boat? Although we pride ourselves on providing the highest level of service and equipment possible to our clients, there is a limitation to how much gear and weight we can accommodate in our rafts on a standard float trip. The vast majority of our repeat clients opt for including a gear boat into their trip package. In addition to allowing for longer float trips with more comforts and amenities, a gear boat option has the following benefits:
    - Camp/sleeping cots and other comforts we cannot fit into the rafts on our standard trip
    - Additional Keg(s) of beer, bottled wine and cans of soda/beer
    - A higher guide to client ratio that results in a higher level of service and more time for clients to fish
    - More space and comfort in the client rafts, as we do not need to fit all the camping gear, personal gear/dry bags, fishing tackle, food and miscellaneous equipment into just two rafts that also need to carry the clients and oarsman
    - More time to stop and fish spots along the river each day, as the gear boat oarsman will break camp in the morning and then head downstream ahead of us and start making camp for the evening.
    - Great flexibility with trip logistics in terms of camp sites and fishing spots.
    PS: We have not yet had a single client every regret paying the additional cost for a gear boat!
  • Do clients have to help row the rafts? No, we used fixed frame rafts with one client riding in the stern and one in the bow. Your guide will do all the rowing while you get to fish or sit back and enjoy the ride.
  • What communication devices do the guides have in case of an emergency? We have a Satellite Phone, DeLorme inReach and a Spot Satellite GPS messaging device with us on all of our float trips. We are in the wilderness of Alaska and do not have any cell phone reception.
  • Can we bring more than 4 people on the float? We can cater to larger groups of up to 6 clients but we need at least 6 months prior notice, so we can arrange for additional rafts, oarsman, float plane flights and equipment.
  • What options do groups of 2 and individuals have to book? We need a minimum of 3-4 clients (preferably 4) to make our trips financially viable. We do get lots of individuals and groups of 2 wanting to partake in our floats, so there are several options for how these smaller groups can be accommodated. Groups of 2 that would like to book the trip for their group alone can do so by adding 45% to their trip price. This essentially gets the group a 1:1 guide to client ratio resulting in a higher level of service and comfort. Groups of 2 and individuals that would like to join another group cannot formally book their trip until we, (or the individual/group), can find another group to join them. We take great care in mixing groups of strangers, to ensure a good group dynamic. The group dynamic on a wilderness float can be as important as the weather, fishing and meals. Our first step in the process of pairing up mixed groups involves finding out as much as possible about each groups' personalities, interest and expectations from the float trip experience. This helps us find “ good fits” for smaller groups, so that everyone has a great time on the trip.
  • How does the reservation list for future seasons work? We typically have 4 of our 6 trips booked via our reservation list, months before available dates go public on our website. Groups wanting to reserve trips for future seasons can submit this early reservation form and let us know which trip dates they are interested in. Our trip dates are generally the same each year, give or take 2-3 days. Groups can reserve more than one trip if their first preference already has groups listed. We will often have multiple groups on the list for a single trip. When formal bookings open up, we ask the group at the top of the reservation list to commit to the trip by paying their 20% deposit. If the group is unable to commit to the trip at that time, we then move down the list to the next group and so on until it books.
  • Are there any early booking incentives? Yes, groups that pay their 20% deposit before November 1st of the year prior to their trip receive the current year’s pricing (typically goes up by 3-5% each year) and a free night at the Coast International Inn in Anchorage.
  • How much whitewater should we expect to encounter? Lake Creek has many miles of Class 1-3 rapids and two major Class 4 rapids. We encounter white water on almost every day of the float depending on river levels and there are many sections of the river that are technical. This translates as demanding oarsmanship for your guides, but not too much of a rollercoaster for the passengers.
  • Do I need a fishing license? Yes, all clients intending to fish require a sport fishing license from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Alaska fishing licenses are available for 7, 14 days or annual periods. It is helpful to purchase your license prior to arriving to Alaska to save you time. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has a great online site for purchasing your fishing licenses: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Online Fishing Licenses. Your fishing license must be on your person at all times while fishing. Clients coming on of our King Salmon Trips (mid-June to July 13th) must also purchase a King Salmon Stamp for the dates of their float trip.
  • Can I take fish home with me from the float? Although we strongly encourage catch and release fishing on Lake Creek, clients are certainly welcome to harvest salmon to take home for the freezer. There are some limitations on how and when is the best time to do this on a float trip. We encourage clients not to harvest any fish they wish to take home until the last two days of the float, so we can ensure there is adequate space in our coolers to keep the fillets fresh. Our mother company, Wilderness Place Lodge also offers some incredible deals whereby guests can agree to fish catch and release yet still receive fresh salmon mailed to their residence. Please le t us know if this is something you are interested in.Note – Harvesting of King Salmon on the last two days of some of our floats may not be possible if emergency King Salmon orders are issued by ADF&G. In the last few seasons ADF&G has issued emergency orders to protect wild stocks of King Salmon in the Susitna Drainage. These emergency orders can restrict King Salmon harvesting to Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, with catch and release only fishing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.