Cusack's Alaska Lodge is family-owned and operated by Bob and Lula Cusack, and their two adult daughters, Nicole and Marisa. Over the past 39 years, the family has spent summers working together at the lodge, and their winters in Seattle, Washington. The girls still cherish their (now less frequent) time at the lodge, returning to work alongside their parents whenever possible. Both graduates of the University of Washington, Nicole and Marisa recently finished graduate studies at University of San Diego School of Law, and Parsons School of Design, respectively.
An avid outdoorsman while growing up in his native Illinois, Bob moved to Naknek, Alaska, in 1970. Eagerly taking full advantage of what Alaska had to offer, he hunted, fished, and earned his commercial and instrument rating pilot's license. In 1973, with the patient support and assistance of Lula, Bob opened his first fishing operation, an old canning barge converted into a two-level, floating loge and anchored on the shores of the Alagnak River. Lula recruited her sisters as employees and created comfort and amazing cuisine to compliment the spectacular fishing. One of the first of its kind on the Alagnak (or anywhere in Bristol Bay), the business drew fishermen from around the world seeking a wild Alaskan experience and legendary king salmon fishing.
With his early success in remote Alaska, Bob acquired his spectacular property on Lake Iliamna and built Cusack's Alaska Lodge. In their new lodge with all the amenities of home, Bob and Lula graduated from their early, rugged venture to a more refined and catered Alaskan experience. Along with their daughters, Bob and Lula have parlayed a deep appreciation for the classic Alaskan wilderness into nearly four decades of providing guests with the trips of their lives.
