Stephan Lake Lodge

Words do not do justice to the absolute beauty of the lodge! The view was incredible, the food was amazing, the warmth of the fire after a day of fishing was the most relaxing experience and sipping hot tea! The float plane in and out was so exciting and the views were the best! If you like to hunt, fish or just do nothing this is the place! Relaxation at its best! Thank you Bill for the excellent 2 days of fishing nothing better than the view while out and about on the lake catching beautiful fish! Thank you to all the staff for an incredible experience! I definitely recommend the lodge and wish we had stayed longer…… next time we will!

Absolutely perfect. We arrived by floatplane, four generations of family, ages 12 to 91, and the new owners of the lodge, Dave & Heather, and Bill &Tasha, all focused on making each of our vacation desires happen. Mom settled into the perfect place to sit by the fireplace to relax and read, with a beautiful mountain view. Dave and Heather took us by boat for some great hikes. Heather kept a .45 on her to keep us safe from a possible bear encounter. Walking the tundra, seeing the creek rush by, hearing different birds, all was uniquely beautiful. My grandson found reindeer antlers, and my son enjoyed Dave’s company. We had a great time fishing, and Bill, our talented chef, cooked them to perfection for supper. Our meals were done family-style, which is how all their guests are treated, like family. Our rooms were spotless, and all of the lodge is cozy, comfortable, just amazingly beautiful. Tasha and the girls keep the rooms and the kitchen tidy. We wanted to have a birthday party for mom, and the girls offered to make her a cake. She was overwhelmed with happiness. This whole experience was so much more than I anticipated, and so much better than the typical tourist trip. I can’t wait to go back. It was truly awesome.

This lodge was taken over by new owners in 2023, they are wonderful people. I dealt with Heather for planning my grizzly bear hunting trip. She was very organized and did everything she said she would to get us on a grizzly bear. I tagged out on the 4th night on a big grizzly. We seen a lot of bears prior to harvesting this one. The other owners Bill and Tasha were in charge of the cooking and housekeeping in the lodge we stayed in. Bills cooking is next level. Every meal was awesome. Tasha made sure everyday we were comfortable and didn’t need anything. I highly recommend this place and the new owners! Thanks guys for the memories

Dave, Heather & family, your knowledge and experience with the area and wildlife is truly astounding! But what’s more, is your genuine enthusiasm and passion to share it with your guests (and even staff alike!) It’s reflected in the attentiveness of the guides/staff, providing the hospitality & comfort for the trip of a lifetime. Bill & Natasha in the kitchen is a dining experience that is unmatched! I still think of the views from the lodge every morning while I pour my cup of coffee and look forward to my return! Favorite place on this planet! Thank you Stephan Lake Lodge!

BEWARE. Be very careful when dealing with Stephan Lake Lodge and Heather (the new owner). I found little info about them when I signed up for a hunt, but did not hear good things from other outfitters and guides. The hunt was going to happen in July 2024. Suddenly my company laid off many employees and my wife told me she was expecting a baby. With many many months in advance, I tried to cancel and get a refund. Heather refused, and when I asked for a wolf hunt that was more affordable she discouraged me. Finally our contract was canceled and superseded with new agreed terms. We had to pay $800 more and use the entire deposit to spend only 1 night, less than 22 hours in total, at Stephan Lake Lodge with my wife (total $3,300 with very short flights from Talkeetna to the lodge and no guided activities). We had no other option, and agreed and spent thousands more in flight tickets from Florida to Alaska, hotels and meals to go 4 days to Talkeetna. And they LET US DOWN. We arrived there, days in advance, and they canceled our trip due to weather when we had seen these planes flying all the time the previous 2 days in Talkeetna. Heather said we could come next year and that we lost our deposit. Because we could not go to the lodge, we had to book a $500 room the only option in town for that night. We asked Heather if we could do at least their fishing activity and she said we had to pay hundreds more for a few hours only. Stephan Lake Lodge provided “zero” services to us, and they want to keep our hardworking money, this is not right. The hunt contract was canceled and superseded by a new contract to stay in the lodge for $3,300 1 night, and we went there for nothing. At least I can publish my experience, and will file a consumer claim which is available in Alaska. Please BEWARE, they are very expensive and they will keep your money in exchange of nothing.