Stand on the docks in Petersburg, Alaska, and look west across the Wrangell Narrows. That ridge of spruce and hemlock is Kupreanof Island. Its story runs from Tlingit fish camps to Russian charts to a fox farm that switched to mink.
Island Point Lodge sits on the Kupreanof side of the Narrows, about 12 miles south of town. Book directly with us for one of our self-guided Alaska fishing trips. We supply the boat, gear, bait and maps, and you pick the water. Before you add the island to your list of Alaska’s best vacation spots, here’s the backstory.
What Is Kupreanof Island?
The island covers more than 1,000 square miles inside the Tongass National Forest. It has two incorporated cities: Kake on the northwest shore and tiny Kupreanof, across the Narrows from Petersburg.
Who Was Kupreanof Island Named After?
The island is named for Ivan Kupreyanov, head of the Russian-American Company in the colony of Russian America in the late 1830s. A Russian hydrographic chart printed the name in 1848, more than 50 years after George Vancouver’s expedition first charted the island.
Who Lived On Kupreanof Island First?
The Tlingit did. The Keex’ Kwaan, or Kake Tlingit, have lived on the island for thousands of years.
In 1912, the Sanborn Cutting Company built a salmon cannery on a traditional Tlingit summer fishing ground near Kake, with help from village residents. The Kake Cannery became a National Historic Landmark in 1997.
In January 1869, the USS Saginaw shelled and burned Kake villages, leaving families without food or shelter in winter. The U.S. Navy delivered a formal apology in Kake in September 2024.
How Did West Petersburg Become Kupreanof?
Residents incorporated West Petersburg as the city of Kupreanof in 1975 to head off annexation by Petersburg. The Knudsen brothers opened a sawmill there in 1911 that made barrels for salted fish shipped out of Petersburg.
The Yukon Fur Farm raised foxes in the early 1920s before switching to mink, and state community records call it Alaska’s first mink farm. Residents also ran a gaff hook factory, a fitting trade on a salmon coast.
Where Can You Fish On Kupreanof Island?
Start at Petersburg Creek, across the Narrows from town. It leads into the Petersburg Creek-Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness, which Congress created in 1980.
- Petersburg Creek: The Forest Service lists steelhead, coho and sockeye runs here. Locals began clearing a trail along the creek in 1923.
- Petersburg Lake Cabin: This 2003 cabin sits about 9 miles northwest of town. On a tide of 15 feet or more, boat 4 miles up the creek and hike 6.5 miles to a lake with cutthroat trout and sockeye. Expect rotting and broken boards on the trail.
- Run timing: Sockeye run mid-June to mid-August, and silver salmon (coho) run mid-July into October. Our fish run dates cover the rest.
Good to know: Black bears feed on the creek’s spawning salmon. Check the local tide chart before you leave the dock, and carry bear spray if you plan to hike.
Reel In A Piece of Kupreanof History
If you’re hunting for the best place to vacation in Alaska, Kupreanof pairs salmon water with Tlingit, Russian and mill-town history. When you compare Alaska fishing lodges, ask how close each one sits to the fish.
Book directly with Island Point Lodge for Petersburg, Alaska, fishing that starts at our dock, and read our self-guided trip details. Call 800-352-4522 and ask which week lines up with the silvers off Island Point.