Sport fishing effort in northwest Alaska is relatively light compared to most other areas in the state. Heaviest use occurs on the Noatak, Kobuk, and Wulik rivers. Many visitors to Gates of the Arctic National Park, Kobuk Valley National Park, and the Noatak National Park Preserve participate in float trips on the Kobuk River or Noatak rivers. Guided and unguided anglers and river floaters use these rivers for raft, canoe, and kayak trips. Lake trout and Arctic grayling occur in Matcharak, Feniak, and Desperation lakes and in other lakes in the middle and upper Noatak drainage.
Some lakes also contain Arctic char.
Most lakes in the area are accessible during summer months only by floatplane. The lower floodplains of the Kobuk and Selawik rivers, especially in the vicinity of the Kobuk River delta, and the lower Noatak River contain hundreds of shallow thaw lakes of various sizes. Fisheries resources in this area have been poorly inventoried, but populations of whitefish, and northern pike are known to be seasonally present. Dolly Varden spawn in several Kobuk River tributary streams. The mountains in the upper Kobuk River drainage contain several relatively large lakes.