The Goodnews River
A remote Southwest Alaska river flowing through the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge to Goodnews Bay. Known for outstanding Coho Salmon runs, wild Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, and the full complement of Pacific salmon species.
- DatesBooked on request — see the schedule page
- Group SizeMaximum 8 guests
- Duration7-day float trips
- Starts / EndsBethel, Alaska
- AccessFloatplane from Bethel — no road access
- RatesSee the schedule page for current pricing
The Goodnews River cuts through the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge in Southwest Alaska before emptying into Goodnews Bay — one of the lesser-known but genuinely exceptional float fishing destinations in the region. Alaska Rainbow Adventures holds a USFWS commercial use permit for the Goodnews.
The Goodnews is a Coho river. Silver Salmon enter the system in late summer and provide some of the most aggressive fly fishing of the Alaska season — explosive strikes, aerial runs, and a willingness to chase a swung or stripped fly that makes them the favorite target species for many anglers. But the river does not start and end with Coho: all five Pacific salmon species run through the Goodnews, and wild Rainbow Trout feed actively throughout the season, particularly when salmon are in the river.
Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and Arctic Grayling round out a fishery that keeps rods bent from the first morning of the float to the last evening. This is a river where the question is not whether you will catch fish — it is which species you want to target at any given moment.
Planning a float trip? See our complete Alaska Float Fishing Guide for species timing across all rivers, or review the fly vs. spin gear guide and packing list before you book.
Fishing the Goodnews
Coho are the calling card. But with five salmon species, wild rainbows, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and Grayling in the same system, the Goodnews is one of the most complete fisheries in Southwest Alaska.
The salmon lifecycle drives the entire Goodnews ecosystem. As each species moves through, it creates feeding opportunities for the rainbows and char that follow the runs. Sockeye Salmon arrive in numbers in July and early August, while Chum Salmon — the second-largest Pacific salmon species and a far more formidable sport fish than their reputation suggests — run concurrently and fight with real authority. In even-numbered years like 2026, Pink Salmon add fast-paced light-tackle action throughout July and into August.
The wild rainbows are the constant throughout the season. They track the salmon runs, hold in the lies created by salmon activity, and respond to streamer and egg patterns wherever the fish are concentrated. Arctic Grayling concentrate in tributary mouths and side channels and provide a reliable change-of-pace target when you want to put down the salmon gear and pick up a lighter rod.
King Salmon finish their entry in late June and push upriver in early July. Rainbows are actively feeding alongside the Kings. The start of the salmon season on the Goodnews, with the entire rest of the run ahead.
Sockeye Salmon move through in numbers. Chum Salmon fight with authority and earn respect from anglers who underestimate them. In 2026 (an even year), Pinks add fast-paced action on lighter gear. Rainbows are active throughout.
The Goodnews at its best. Coho Silver Salmon enter the river in late August and provide some of the most exciting fly fishing in Southwest Alaska. Explosive takes, aerial fights, and a preference for swung and stripped patterns. Rainbows are in full fall feeding mode.
Wild Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char, Dolly Varden, and Grayling are available throughout the season. Rainbows follow the salmon calendar all season. Grayling in the side channels provide a reliable dry-fly opportunity at any time.
Coho Salmon on the Goodnews
Explosive strikes. Sustained aerial fights. A natural preference for the swung and stripped fly. Coho are the most fly-friendly of the five Pacific salmon species — and the Goodnews gets them in numbers.
Chrome. Fast. Aggressive.
A fresh-run Coho is a different fish from what many anglers expect. They come in chrome-bright from the ocean, full of energy, and they hit hard. Unlike Sockeye, which require specific techniques, Coho will chase a fly across the current and strike with aggression. Unlike Kings, which often require heavy gear and sink-tips to reach, Coho will respond to intermediate and even floating lines when they are moving actively. They are, in short, the most approachable trophy salmon species in the system — and on a river like the Goodnews, that accessibility makes for outstanding fly fishing.
- Timing: Late August through September. This is the Goodnews Coho window and it is worth planning a trip around.
- The take: Aggressive. They will chase. They will double back. They will eat a stripped fly on the run. Not a passive fish.
- The fight: Hard first runs, sustained aerobatics, and a tendency to change direction without warning. An 8 or 9-weight rod gets a workout.
- Fresh fish: Chrome Silvers straight from the ocean are the target. They lose conditioning as they stay in fresh water — the best fish are the freshest fish.
Rainbows run alongside the Coho in the fall and are in their best feeding condition of the year. Targeting both species in a single session — Coho on the swung fly, rainbows on streamer and egg patterns — is what the Goodnews late-season float is built around.
Tackle for the Goodnews
Coho are the target and an 8 or 9-weight is the workhorse. Add a trout rod for rainbows and a stout salmon setup if Kings are in the schedule. Cover all three and you are set for the float.
- 8–9 wt single-hand, 9 ft
- Intermediate or light sink-tip line
- Comet-style flies: pink, purple, chartreuse, white
- Swung or stripped — both produce on the Goodnews
- The most fly-responsive of the five species
- 15–20 lb fluorocarbon tippet
- 6–8 wt single-hand
- Floating or intermediate line
- Egg patterns, flesh flies, large leech patterns
- Sculpin and streamer patterns
- 4X–5X tippet depending on fly size
- Follows the salmon runs all season
- 9–10 wt single-hand, 9 ft
- Full-sink or heavy sink-tip line
- Large bunny leeches, Comets, intruder-style patterns
- Chartreuse, orange, and pink color schemes
- 30–40 lb fluorocarbon tippet
- Heavy spinning as backup
- 7–9 wt single-hand
- Floating or intermediate line
- Sockeye: small bright flies, red/orange, sizes 4–8
- Chum: active retrieve, chartreuse or white
- Size up tippet for Chum — they hit hard
- 6–7 wt single-hand
- Floating or intermediate line
- Small pink or chartreuse flies, sizes 6–10
- Light touch, fast action
- 2026 is a Pink Salmon year
- 4–6 wt single-hand
- Floating line
- Char and Dollies: egg and flesh patterns
- Streamers and nymphs outside salmon windows
- Grayling: small dry flies in tributary mouths
“An 8 or 9-weight for Coho covers most of the day. Add a 6 or 7-weight for rainbows and Grayling on the lighter side, and you have both ends of the Goodnews covered without overloading the raft.”
A detailed pre-trip gear list and direct consultation with Paul are included with every Goodnews booking. You will arrive with exactly what the river calls for during your trip window.
What’s Included in Every Trip
Every Goodnews trip is built around getting you on the water and keeping you there. The logistics are handled from the moment you land in Bethel.
- Round-trip floatplane transportation from Bethel, Alaska to the river and back.
- All meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages for the full float — hearty, well-provisioned camp meals.
- Alaska-made tents for two with cots and camp chairs — built for Southwest Alaska conditions.
- Custom-built dining tent and screened communal area for meals and group gathering.
- Professional guides experienced in the Goodnews system, skilled in fly and spin techniques for all target species.
- Expedition-quality rafts and river equipment designed for multi-day wilderness float trips.
- Showers and private toilet facilities on Fisherman’s Deluxe trips.
- Garmin inReach satellite communicationequipment on every trip for emergency use and field coordination.
We maintain a 2:1 guest-to-guide ratio in our rafts on the Goodnews. The Fisherman’s Deluxe configuration brings a dedicated camp hand — often in ahead to have camp set when you arrive at the evening gravel bar. Your only job is to fish.
Why Float the Goodnews — Not a Lodge
A float covers the whole river on the fish’s schedule. A lodge fishes a fixed stretch on the lodge’s schedule. On a Coho river, that difference matters.
| Lodge Fishing | Alaska Rainbow Float Trip | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Fixed beats accessed daily by multiple boats | Float the whole river — new water, fresh fish every day |
| Pressure | Fish that see guides and lures regularly all season | USFWS permit-controlled — your corridor, your float |
| Coho Fishing | Hit the same pools on the lodge schedule | Follow the fresh-run fish down the river as they arrive |
| Setting | Return to lodge buildings each night | Camp on gravel bars — the river is your front yard |
| Timing | Departure and return times set by the lodge | Fish when the fishing is good — including after dinner |
| Experience | Visit the river from a fixed base | Live on the river for the full seven days |
Experience the whole river, not the few runs a lodge can haul you to. Floating means you’re in the flow, covering new water every day, seeing the pieces boats never reach. It’s the full system, start to finish — not the same loops on repeat
Dates & Availability
Goodnews trips are scheduled on the same dates each season. Contact Paul directly — he responds personally to every inquiry and will tell you honestly which window best matches your target species.
| Season Window | Primary Fishing | |
|---|---|---|
| Late June – Early July | King Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Grayling | |
| Mid July | Sockeye, Chum, Pink Salmon (2026), Rainbow Trout | |
| August | Chum, Pink, early Coho, Rainbow Trout, Arctic Char | |
| Late August | Coho (Silver) Salmon arriving, Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden | |
| September | Coho peak, Rainbow Trout in fall feeding mode, Char |
Seven, eight to ten-day float trips available, see the schedule page for dates. Maximum 8 guests. Travel insurance is required for all Alaska Rainbow Adventures trips.
What Clients Actually Say
Unedited responses from people who have fished with us.
About Paul Hansen
Thirty-plus years on these rivers. The same standards. The same permits. The same commitment to doing it right.
The Operation Behind the Float
I started Alaska Rainbow Adventures in 1993. I hold USFWS commercial use permits for the Goodnews, Kanektok, and Togiak rivers in the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, and NPS permits for the Alagnak River and Moraine Creek in Katmai National Preserve. Trips on the Arolik are controlled by the local village corporation.
The Goodnews runs on a set schedule — trip dates are posted on the schedule page. Trips begin in mid to late July, which puts you squarely into the heart of the season: rainbow trout and Arctic grayling fishing throughout, Sockeye and Chum salmon in the system, and Coho building through August into September. If Silver Salmon are your target, the late August and September dates are the ones to look at — fresh, chrome fish and the Goodnews at its best.
When you contact me, I respond personally. I answer questions honestly. If you are trying to decide between the Goodnews and another river, tell me your target species and timing and I will give you a direct answer on which trip makes more sense for your situation.
Paul Hansen — Owner/Operator, Alaska Rainbow Adventures
info@akrainbow.com (907) 357-0251 Voice Only
Goodnews River FAQ
The questions we hear most often from anglers considering a Goodnews River fishing trip.
Ready to Float the Goodnews?
Trips booked by request. Tell Paul your target species, preferred timing, and group size — he takes it from there.