Yes Bay Lodge Eco-Tours

Flightseeing Trips
Misty Fjords / Glacier Flightseeing Tour

Some of nature’s most majestic work in Alaska surrounds Yes Bay Lodge, in the Misty Fjords National Monument. The U.S. Forest Service has managed and protected this unique wilderness, totaling 2.2 million acres, since 1980.

As our guest, you could leave for your Misty Fjords tour right from our dock. Along the way, your experienced Alaskan floatplane pilot provides narration of the fascinating history of the area. All passengers are equipped with headsets that permit the pilot to converse during the flight. These spectacular air tours combine the unmatched beauty of the Misty Fjords National Monument with several of Alaska’s most dramatic glaciers.

Lake McDonald

One comment we hear a lot at Yes Bay is about the time and effort it must have taken to build the boardwalk that leads visitors from the front porch to the dock. We are proud to say, what you see in the front of the lodge is just the beginning. Beyond the lodge, a trail extends nearly a mile and a half through the continent’s largest temperate rainforest to Lake McDonald.

The pathway leads anglers, birdwatchers, and nature lovers along one of Southeast Alaska’s most unique trails. Hikers have come from all over the world for the opportunity to step foot on our trail. You can do it every night after dinner, or you can spend an entire day exploring all the adventure it leads to.

Once you are just a few yards behind the lodge, you will quickly realize you are in the midst of a setting unmatched anywhere else in the world. Lush is where most folks begin describing the forest, but where they end is up to them. Every visitor walks away with a unique view.

Whether you hike all the way to Lake McDonald (1.3 miles) to spend a day fishing for salmon, cutthroats, rainbows, dolly varden, or the 25-pound steelhead that make the lake famous across the globe, or if you merely stroll a few hundred yards for a “wilderness” picnic, you will experience a forest unlike any other. One of our guides would love to show you the way.

The best part of the trail is that it is in our own backyard.

Trail Hiking At McDonald Lake

Making the hike to McDonald Lake is a sightseeing adventure in itself. Southeast Alaska’s trails are truly an experience; they are full of lush scenery and mirror-like lakes perfect for all nature lovers. As long as you’re up for a challenge, McDonald Lake’s surrounding trails are a favorite for locals and faraway tourists alike.

Trail hiking is good for the body and mind, and better yet, the trails we have are sure to satisfy even the most adventurous hiker. There’s no better place to quietly reconnect with nature and create lasting memories that will leave you feeling revitalized.

Reflection Lake

Providing a rare opportunity to our guests, Yes Bay Lodge has exclusive permits to nearly two dozen lakes and river systems. Among these, Reflection Lake is one of our favorites! Imagine just you and a world-class guide fishing some of the world’s most pristine and productive lakes and rivers, without seeing another soul for miles.

You could be fishing for trophy cutthroat trout, huge rainbows, dolly varden, monstrous lake trout; you could even have a shot at big, bright silver salmon on a fly rod. It is a freshwater angler’s version of heaven on earth. And you can fish it every day at Yes Bay Lodge.

You may go for the seclusion, but the sights, the water, and the fishing will have you coming back for more. Yes Bay’s access to some of the world’s finest fly fishing waters has remained one of its best-kept secrets. Come see why it is a secret worth keeping.

Neets Bay Hatchery Tour and Bear Watch

The Neets Bay tour begins with a boat ride from Yes Bay Lodge to Neets Bay. This can be done as part of a normal half day of fishing, or you can include a picnic lunch and make it an all day trip of fishing, touring the hatchery and watching and photographing the bears. Beginning in mid-July, just as the pink and chum salmon are returning to Neets Bay, this active salmon hatchery attracts bears from all around.

Although bear sightings are not guaranteed, we usually see 5 to 10 bears on a normal tour. These are hungry black bears who prepare for winter by feasting on salmon returning to the hatchery and to several streams throughout the bay. Eagles and seals are also plentiful in Neets Bay. Be sure to bring both your video and regular camera on this tour. This is a chance to bring home some great footage to show your friends and family.

SSRAA constructed the Neets Bay facility with funds borrowed from the Department of Commerce. The facility has been in operation since 1983.

The number of returning fish is projected every year; it’s no wonder the bears around Neets Bay return to enjoy their catch.

Summer Chum – 997,000
Fall Chum – 213,000
Chinook – 15,400
Coho – 197,000