Ketchikan Salmon Fishing
Ketchikan salmon fishing is a world class experience. Located in Southeast Alaska, Ketchikan is home to five species of salmon - Chinook (king), coho (silver), sockeye (red), humpback (pink) and chum (also known as dog) salmon.
The scenery in Ketchikan is magnificent; it is home to rainforest vegetation and blessed with a relatively mild climate - not unlike Seattle.
The Misty Fjords National Monument area, located south of Ketchikan, is another must-see destination. It's only accessible by floatplane or boat, but is well worth the effort to see.
If you're up to it, you'll have an opportunity to camp at Ward Cove Recreation area campsites or Settler's Cove State Park. For those who want the rustic cabin experience, the Forest Service runs several recreational use cabins along area streams. Be prepared for an Alaskan outhouse experience! For those unfamiliar with Ketchikan, its streams and the deep sea fishing opportunities, hiring one of the area's many fishing guides is a great idea. A guide who lives in the area will have an extensive knowledge of the fishing opportunities that abound in Ketchikan. Be advised that where there are salmon, there are also bears. When hiking to a salmon stream it's wise to make noise - you don't want any unpleasant furry surprises! Many sow bears will have cubs and there is nothing nastier or fiercer than a mother bear. It's said that cedar wood and salmon flesh are the two phrases that can best sum up the -essence of Ketchikan. The native peoples who came to the area - Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian were brought there by the fish that abounded in both salt and fresh water, as well as the cedar wood available for building houses and other items such as potlatch bowls. The native peoples also were incredibly gifted at making canoes and totem poles - also crafted from cedar logs. Ketchikan also saw many eager gold seekers come through on their way north during the Gold Rush. Because salmon were so abundant, white businessmen saw economic opportunities and established salteries and canneries to process the salmon from the waters in and around Ketchikan. Commercial fishing still goes on, and there are opportunities for those who love the arts, camping, Native crafts and just enjoying the beauty that is available in the area, but the primary draw for many of us is the incredible experience of Ketchikan salmon fishing.
Alaska Halibut Fishing
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