South Naknek is located in Bristol Bay Borough, within the Southwest Region, near Katmai National Park and Preserve.
South Naknek is a Sugpiak Native village. They came to South Naknek from the villages of New and Old Savanoski. South Naknek was settled in the early 1900s as a result of salmon cannery development. There is a 3,500 foot gravel airstrip maintained by the state.