Iliamna Lake
Encyclopedia
Iliamna Lake or Lake Iliamna is a lake
in South-West Alaska
, at North end of Alaska Peninsula
, between Kvichak Bay
and Cook Inlet
, 100 miles (160.9 km) West of Seldovia, Alaska
Bristol Bay
Low.
It is the largest lake in Alaska
, eighth largest lake in the United States of America, and one of the largest in North America
, covering about 2,600 km² (1,000 sq. miles). The lake is 77 miles (124 km) long and up to 22 miles (35 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 988 feet (301.1 m). Through the Kvichak River
, its waters drain into Bristol Bay
.
, Iliamna is said to be "the name of a mythical great blackfish supposed to inhabit this lake, which bites holes in the bidarkas
of bad natives."
The name Iliamna is derived from the Inland Dena'ina Athabascan name "Nila Vena" which means island's lake.
, about 100 miles from Homer, Alaska on the other side of Cook Inlet. 15.5 miles long and a single lane wide with 4 bridges, Williamsport-Pile Bay Road is maintained as a gravel utility road for the purpose of hauling boats and freight, and is not intended for general purpose use. The road allows boats (at least those which can fit across the bridges) to portage from Cook Inlet
to Bristol Bay
without braving the open ocean to go all the way around the Alaska Peninsula
. The road is also believed to significantly reduce fuel costs for the Lake Iliamna and Bristol Bay regions.
, Newhalen
, Kokhanok
, Pedro Bay
, Pope-Vannoy Landing
and Igiugig
lie on the shores of Iliamna Lake.
, some of which can exceed 28 inches long. The Kvichak River Policy (the drainage of Lake Iliamna) is catch and release
on trout (and all other native fish), so if you're looking for a meal then salmon is your best bet. Sockeye (Red) and Chinook (King) Salmon are consistently found in the lake and are open to harvest under Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Regulations. Lake
Iliamna also has one of few populations of freshwater seal
s in the world.
, an aquatic creature much like the rumored Loch Ness Monster
.
Jeremy Wade of Animal Planet's "River Monsters" thinks the monster is actually a large White Sturgeon
.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in South-West Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, at North end of Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
, between Kvichak Bay
Kvichak Bay
Kvichak Bay is an arm on the northeast side of Bristol Bay in southern Alaska, at . It is long and wide. The Kvichak River flows into the bay at its furthest northeast point, while the Naknek River comes in from the east about to the south of the Kvichak....
and Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, 100 miles (160.9 km) West of Seldovia, Alaska
Seldovia, Alaska
Seldovia is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 286 at the 2000 census. There is no road system connecting the town to other communities, so planes and boats are used for transportation....
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
Low.
It is the largest lake in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, eighth largest lake in the United States of America, and one of the largest in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, covering about 2,600 km² (1,000 sq. miles). The lake is 77 miles (124 km) long and up to 22 miles (35 km) wide, with a maximum depth of 988 feet (301.1 m). Through the Kvichak River
Kvichak River
The Kvichak River is a river in southwestern Alaska, located at the conjunction of the Alaska Peninsula, to the Alaska mainland at about With headwaters in Lake Iliamna, it drains the lake into Kvichak Bay, an arm of Bristol Bay. The river is about long. The communities of Levelock and Igiugig...
, its waters drain into Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
.
Name
Native name reported as Oz(ero) Bol (shoy) Ilyamna, meaning Big Ilyamna Lake, on 1852 Russian Hydrog. Dept. Chart 1455. This feature was earlier called Oz(ero) Shelekhovo, meaning Lake Shelekov, on an 1802 Russian map. According to G. C. Martin, United States Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
, Iliamna is said to be "the name of a mythical great blackfish supposed to inhabit this lake, which bites holes in the bidarkas
Aleutian kayak
The Aleutian Baidarka or Aleutian kayak was the watercraft created by the native Aleut people of the Aleutian Islands. The Aleut people were surrounded by treacherous waters and required water transportation and a hunting vessel...
of bad natives."
The name Iliamna is derived from the Inland Dena'ina Athabascan name "Nila Vena" which means island's lake.
Williamsport-Pile Bay Road Portage
Williamsport-Pile Bay Road is a utility-class road maintained by the State of Alaska to connect Pile Bay on the Northeast side of Lake Iliamna to Williamsport, a tiny settlement on Iliamna Bay of Cook InletCook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
, about 100 miles from Homer, Alaska on the other side of Cook Inlet. 15.5 miles long and a single lane wide with 4 bridges, Williamsport-Pile Bay Road is maintained as a gravel utility road for the purpose of hauling boats and freight, and is not intended for general purpose use. The road allows boats (at least those which can fit across the bridges) to portage from Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
to Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay is the eastern-most arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km long and 290 km, wide at its mouth...
without braving the open ocean to go all the way around the Alaska Peninsula
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
. The road is also believed to significantly reduce fuel costs for the Lake Iliamna and Bristol Bay regions.
Populated Places
The villages of IliamnaIliamna, Alaska
Iliamna is a census-designated place in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 102 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Iliamna is located at ....
, Newhalen
Newhalen, Alaska
Newhalen is a city in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 160.-Geography:Newhalen is located at ....
, Kokhanok
Kokhanok, Alaska
Kokhanok is a census-designated place in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 174.-Geography:Kokhanok is located at ....
, Pedro Bay
Pedro Bay, Alaska
Pedro Bay is a census-designated place in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 50 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pedro Bay is located at ....
, Pope-Vannoy Landing
Pope-Vannoy Landing, Alaska
Pope-Vannoy Landing is a census-designated place in the Lake and Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was six at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pope-Vannoy Landing is located at ....
and Igiugig
Igiugig, Alaska
Igiugig is a census-designated place in Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 53 at the 2000 census. The village is at the mouth of the Kvichak River, on Lake Iliamna, in the U.S...
lie on the shores of Iliamna Lake.
Wildlife
Iliamna Lake is noted for its sport fishing. The three primary targets of anglers in the lake are trout, salmon, and grayling. August through September is prime time for catching fat rainbow troutRainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, some of which can exceed 28 inches long. The Kvichak River Policy (the drainage of Lake Iliamna) is catch and release
Catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury...
on trout (and all other native fish), so if you're looking for a meal then salmon is your best bet. Sockeye (Red) and Chinook (King) Salmon are consistently found in the lake and are open to harvest under Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is a department within the government of Alaska. The Department of Fish and Game manages Alaska's fish, game, and aquatic plant resources.-History:...
Regulations. Lake
Iliamna also has one of few populations of freshwater seal
Freshwater seal
The freshwater seals are the species of seals which live exclusively in freshwater bodies.The only true freshwater seal species is the Baikal Seal....
s in the world.
Monster
Local residents have a number of stories about the alleged Iliamna Lake MonsterIliamna Lake Monster
The Iliamna Lake Monster is a cryptid that allegedly lives in Iliamna Lake in Alaska. Due to the lake's remote location and vast size, little exploration has been done to investigate the sightings. It has, however, been hypothesized to be a giant sturgeon. The length of the creature varies by...
, an aquatic creature much like the rumored Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
.
Jeremy Wade of Animal Planet's "River Monsters" thinks the monster is actually a large White Sturgeon
Sturgeon
Sturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
.