During World War II, Cold Bay's population swelled to over 60,000. Today, however, there are but 70 hardy souls. The climate here is rather balmy by Alaska standards, with air temperatures ranging from the 20s in winter to the 60s in summer. He's got a nose for finding the best fishing Alaska has to offer, and Cold Bay is his crowning achievement. A major advantage of Cold Bay proper is its road system, which affords drive-up access to countless miles of remarkable fishing.
Many creeks are accessible from the beach well up into their high-country head waters.
Access like this would create unbearable fishing pressure in most places, but not here. Amazingly, fishermen have yet to discover the Cold Bay area. Silver Salmon Of the five species of Pacific salmon, silvers are tops in my book. When hooked, they spend as much time in the air as in the water, especially when they're fresh from the salt. This river flows down the slope of a huge volcano, then empties into tidal flats several miles wide.