Newhalen River

{{Short description|River in Alaska}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Newhalen River

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| map_size = 300

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| pushpin_map = USA Alaska

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| pushpin_map_caption= Location of the mouth of the Newhalen River in Alaska

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = United States

| subdivision_type2 = State

| subdivision_name2 = Alaska

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| subdivision_type4 = Borough

| subdivision_name4 = Lake and Peninsula

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| length = {{convert|22|mi|km|abbr=on}}{{cite book|last=Orth|first=Donald J.|author2=United States Geological Survey|title=Dictionary of Alaska Place Names: Geological Survey Professional Paper 567|url=http://137.229.113.112/webpubs/usgs/p/text/p0567.pdf|publisher=University of Alaska Fairbanks|year=1971|orig-year=1967|page=684|accessdate=November 28, 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017165933/http://137.229.113.112/webpubs/usgs/p/text/p0567.pdf|archivedate=October 17, 2013}}

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| source1 = Six Mile Lake

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| source1_coordinates= {{coord|59|56|56|N|154|51|42|W|display=inline}}

| source1_elevation = {{convert|253|ft|abbr=on}}Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.

| mouth = Iliamna Lake

| mouth_location = {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} south of Iliamna

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|59|42|48|N|154|53|24|W|display=inline,title}}{{cite web | work = Geographic Names Information System| publisher = United States Geological Survey | date = January 1, 2000|url={{gnis3|1406979}} | title = Newhalen River| accessdate = November 28, 2013}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|46|ft|abbr=on}}

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The Newhalen River (Dena'ina: Nughiltnu) is a {{convert|22|mi|km|adj=on}} stream in the Lake and Peninsula Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Beginning at Six Mile Lake, the Newhalen flows south to enter Iliamna Lake about {{convert|3|mi|km|0}} south of Iliamna.

Alaska Fishing describes the river as "the major pathway for a mind-boggling migration of sockeye salmon"{{cite book|last=Limeres|first=Rene|author2=Pedersen, Gunnar|title=Alaska Fishing: The Ultimate Angler's Guide|edition=3rd|publisher=Publishers Design Group|location=Roseville, California|year=2005|page=230|isbn=1-929170-11-4|display-authors=etal}} that ascend the stream in early summer. The main game fish in addition to sockeye are rainbow trout.

It is possible to float parts of the Newhalen in rafts and kayaks. However, waterfalls rated Class V (extremely difficult) on the International Scale of River Difficulty and other sections of whitewater rated Class IV (very difficult) mean that the river "is rarely run in its entirety".{{cite book|last=Jettmar|first=Karen|title=The Alaska River Guide: Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting in the Last Frontier|publisher=Menasha Ridge Press|location=Birmingham, Alabama|edition=3rd|year=2008|orig-year=1993|pages=177–78|isbn=978-0-89732-957-6}} The first {{convert|8|mi|km}} below Six Mile Lake are Class I (easy), and there is a take-out point, Upper Landing, at the end of this stretch. More difficult water begins below Upper Landing.