Nuyakuk River

Nuyakuk River
Location of the mouth of the Nuyakuk River in Alaska
Location
Country	United States
State	Alaska
Census Area	Dillingham
Physical characteristics
Source	Tikchik Lake
• location	Wood-Tikchik State Park
• coordinates	59°56′13″N 158°11′32″W[1]
• elevation	316 ft (96 m)[2]
Mouth	Nushagak River
• location	65 miles (105 km) northeast of Dillingham
• coordinates	59°48′08″N 157°26′13″W[1]
• elevation	177 ft (54 m)[1]
Length	36 mi (58 km)[1]

The Nuyakuk River is a 36-mile (58 km) tributary of the Nushagak River in southwestern Alaska, United States.^[1] From its source at Tikchik Lake, an extension of Nuyakuk Lake in Wood-Tikchik State Park, it flows eastward into the larger river upstream of Koliganek.^[3] The Nuyakuk's mouth is 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Dillingham.^[1]

Recreation

Many kinds of watercraft can be used for boating on the Nuyakuk. The Alaska River Guide describes the stream as "an excellent river for families or novices, with experience in portaging...especially those who enjoy fishing."^[4] The segments of the Nuyakuk that require portages occur along the upper 7 miles (11 km) of the stream below Tikchik Lake. Two sections of Class II (medium) water on the International Scale of River Difficulty are along this part of the river. Below this, the river plunges over a 0.5-mile (0.8 km) series of ledges in a sequence rated Class IV (very difficult) to V (extremely difficult). Beyond these rapids and ledges, the river is Class I (easy) all the way to the mouth.^[4]

Game fish inhabiting the Nuyakuk include rainbow trout, char, Arctic grayling, silver salmon, king salmon, and lake trout. Anglers generally reach the river by floatplane or boat; accommodations include a private lodge along the upper river.^[5] There are good campsites except along the lower river near the mouth.^[4]

See also

• List of rivers of Alaska

References

1. "Nuyakuk River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. January 1, 2000. Retrieved November 21, 2013.
2. Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
3. Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2010. pp. 56–57. ISBN 978-0-89933-289-5.
4. Jettmar, Karen (2008) [1993]. The Alaska River Guide: Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting in the Last Frontier (3rd ed.). Birmingham, Alabama: Menasha Ridge Press. pp. 181–82. ISBN 978-0-89732-957-6.
5. Limeres, Rene; Pedersen, Gunnar; et al. (2005). Alaska Fishing: The Ultimate Angler's Guide (3rd ed.). Roseville, California: Publishers Design Group. p. 237. ISBN 1-929170-11-4.