Naknek

Naknek (NACK-neck) is located on the north bank of the Naknek River, at the northeastern end of Bristol Bay. This region was first settled more than 6,000 years ago by Yup’ik Eskimos and Athabascan Indians. In 1821, the original Eskimo village of “Naugeik” was noted by Capt. Lt. Vasiliev. By 1880, the village was called Kinuyak. Naknek has a seasonal economy as a service center for the large red salmon fishery in Bristol Bay. In 2009, 105 residents held commercial fishing permits, and several thousand people typically flood the area during the fishing season. Millions of pounds of salmon are trucked over the Naknek to King Salmon Road each summer, where jets transport the fish to the Lower 48.

Information sourced from the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs Community Information Series.