Egegik Bay ( Yup'ik: ''Igyagiim painga'') is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

located just 69.1 miles from Dillingham in Alaska and the northeastern arm of the

Bristol Bay Bristol Bay ( esu, Iilgayaq, russian: Залив Бристольский) is the easternmost arm of the Bering Sea, at 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska. Bristol Bay is 400 km (250 mi) long and 290 km, ( ...

. The Egegik (''Igyagiiq'' in Yup'ik) village is located on a high bluff along the southern shore of the Egegik River at the upper extent of Egegik Bay. The nearest places to Egegik Bay are Coffee Point (3 km north), Coffee Point (4 km north), Goose Point (4 km north), Egegik Airport (5 km west), and Bartletts Airport (6 km north).

History

The first recorded contact by non-Natives was with Russian fur traders between 1818 and 1867. Chapter 3 – Region 12: Egegik, Becharof
/ref> The Egegik Yupik is one of the five

Central Alaskan Yup'ik Central Alaskan Yup'ik may refer to: * Central Alaskan Yup'ik people * Central Alaskan Yup'ik language Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Direction ...

dialects. Local people are Central Alaskan Yup'ik people and would travel each year from Kanatak (an Alutiiq village) on the Gulf coast through a portage pass to Becharof Lake (south-east of Egegik). From there they would

hike Hike may refer to: * Hiking, walking lengthy distances in the countryside or wilderness * Hiking (sailing), moving a sailor's body weight as far to windward (upwind) as possible, in order to counteract the force of the wind pushing sideways agains ...

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

on to the Egegik Bay are for the summer fish camp.

Nature

Although tideland areas adjacent to the coast are important for providing habitat to some species of birds as well as harbor seals, by far the most important and sensitive habitat area occurs at the mouth of the Egegik River within Egegik Bay. The remainder of Egegik Bay is included within tideland management unit R12T-02 and contains extensive areas of eelgrass, harbor seal haulouts, and waterfowl use. Beluga whales are present in the northern part of Region 12, although Egegik Bay is not known to contain calving areas.

Fishing

The Egegik Community (R12T-03) is a major commercial Pacific salmon fishing area. Pink, chum, sockeye, coho and chinook salmon are harvested (drift net) commercially in Egegik Bay (R12T-01 & R12T-02) and at the mouth of the Egegik River. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including coho salmon, dolly varden and pink salmon here.Fishing Reports for Egegik Bay - Dillingham, Alaska
/ref>

References

External links

Egegik Bay Watershed

dec.alaska.gov: Egegik Bay, BB-N12
{{coord, 58, 11, N, 157, 28, W, dim:20000_region:US-AK, display=title Bays of Alaska Bodies of water of Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska