Fishing Alaska
Find pristine waters and exceptional vistas in America’s 49th state
by Alex Pulaski
Photo Courtesy: Sergius Hannan
Whether tapping into an ice-covered lake for trout in February or mooching for king salmon in the north Pacific in June, visitors to Alaska encounter some of the world’s most abundant fishing grounds.
The massive 49th state of Alaska is home to 3 million lakes, 12,000 rivers and more than 600 fish species. Avid and beginning anglers can choose from more than 500 licensed fishing guides and resorts, from the Arctic to the interior to the southeast in and around Ketchikan, which bills itself as the Salmon Capital of the World.
The daunting numbers only begin to tell Alaska’s sport fishing story. It’s a place of magnificent beauty, and the memories a visitor brings home of humpback whales, bald eagles, arctic terns and marauding sea lions are likely to rival the stories of the one that got away.
A Fishing Tradition
Photo Courtesy Coldwater, Brad Conley
During the past 15 years, I’ve cast a line into Alaskan waters on a half-dozen different fishing outings, from half-day guided excursions as part of cruise sailings to multi-day experiences at dedicated angling resorts. Most recently, I was trolling for winter king salmon this January in Homer, a 35-minute flight from Anchorage.
I’d always considered Alaska as a summer fishing destination—it is, mostly—but charming Homer has gained a reputation for winter kings, and hosts the West Coast’s largest fishing tournament every March. Winter visitors experience the stirring beauty of the snow-draped Kenai Mountains, but without the warm-weather recreation crowds.
“This is my favorite time of year,” Captain Garrett Lambert told me as he guided the 36-foot Sweet T out of Homer Harbor. “It’s the best way to experience Alaska without anyone else around.”
That electric sensation of spying the rod tip dive suddenly and hearing the sharp buzz of line playing out is likely to be recalled for months after the return home. Souvenirs from an Alaskan fishing vacation fill freezers and end up on dinner plates, again and again. They’re memories genuinely worth savoring.
Most of my Alaska fishing expeditions have revolved around salmon, and the Homer trip was no exception. My wife, Mica, tagged along this time, and on our first day not only landed two king salmon, but the two biggest ones of the trip. Winter kings run smaller than their summer counterparts—in the 8- to 16-pound range—and don’t generally fight as strongly as the summer kings. But Mica had her biggest one on the rod for a good 10 minutes as it circled around and under the boat trying to escape, in vain.
Across two days we landed five kings, a Pacific cod and a black rockfish. Homer is renowned for big halibut, but they were out of season. We also caught a pollock, which ended up as bait in the crab pot, left overnight 300 feet deep. The next day, as Lambert and crewman Brandon Kosht hoisted the trap onto the deck, Lambert dryly announced, “We did okay.” The trap was brimming with big, salmon-pink Tanner crabs.
A bubbling hot tub waited for us after the adventure, with its views of Kachemak Bay from our deck at the cozy Driftwood Inn. See thedriftwoodinn.com.
Other Accessible Alaskan Fishing Destinations
Ketchikan
Sitka
Juneau
Haines
Anchorage
Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Photo Courtesy Sergius Hannan