Frazer Lake (Dog Salmon Creek): Easy Kodiak Bear Viewing

Getting There

Frazer Lake is 70 miles southwest of Kodiak; floatplanes make the trip in about 50 minutes.

The Bears

This is the second-largest sockeye run on the island, and the bears know there’s a feast to be had. During peak times, it’s usual to see five to ten bears roaming around the falls and fish ladder here, where sockeye salmon congregate on their return from the ocean to the lake. You’ll see mothers, adolescents, and cubs catching fish, grazing on grasses, napping, and playing—the cubs love to wrestle each other!

The Viewing Situation

The river is a ¾-mile walk from where the floatplanes land. It’s varied terrain, and you’ll want good hiking boots, though during wet times, bring rubber boots or hip waders. Bears gather at the foot of a falls where Frazer Lake spills into Dog Salmon Creek, and once you reach the river, there’s a viewing area about 50 yards from there. (Sometimes, of course, the bears come closer.) There’s a 200-foot fish ladder, created to give salmon easier access to the lake, so while you can be sure the bears will hang out there, the ladder can spoil a perfect “wild nature” photo. You can charter tours in Kodiak; many flight services offering guiding in addition to the flight. Also, many remote hunting and fishing lodges on the island offer trips to Frazer Lake.

Season

June 6-August 28

Access

Floatplane

Links

Kingfisher Aviation

Andrew Airways

Island Air Service

Zachar Bay Lodge

Kodiak Legends Lodge

Getting There

Coordinates
Latitude: 57.2583
Longitude: -154.1386
Driving Directions