One of Iliamna's most famous fly fishing streams, The Copper River yields large rainbow trout, char, grayling, and sockeye salmon. The season opens June 8th following a spring closing for spawning trout. The area is restricted to fly fishing only, catch and release, single hook, no barbs. The Copper is possibly the best of Iliamna's fabulous trout streams. The river is not fished as heavily as in the past due to limited access to the lower river.
Native lands limit access to the lower lakes.
I've got a couple of good approaches to the stream from above. The Copper River is clear and pristine, swiftly flowing from the mountains east of Iliamna some 20 miles to empty into Intricate Bay on Lake Iliamna. The fly fishing conditions are near perfect with wide banks and wadable gravel bed. Wear your neoprene's with good shoes. The big rainbow migrate in from Lake Iliamna spring and fall.