Alaska Fishing FAQ’s

Jeremy Anderson, Nicholas Ohlrich, Nigel Fox

We are in our 40's, in our prime, and have been operating for the past 19 seasons on the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers

When Nick and Jeremy first came to Alaska we fell in love with the Kenai River. We met Nigel in Cooper Landing and got this great idea to start a business together. 19 years later we are thriving with our knowledge, passionate about teaching anglers, and love being on the water.

We all live and work on the Kenai Peninsula in the Sterling & Soldotna area. Nigel spends some of his year in Oregon. Nick and I live in Girdwood.

We fish the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers, located 3 hours south of Anchorage on the Kenai Peninsula. We also offer fly out fishing trips across cook inlet for salmon, grayling, trout, and bear viewing. Also we have halibut fishing options in the ocean out of Deep Creek and Homer!

An Alaska fishing trip can cost as low as $195 for a single seat on a half day fishing trip to several thousand dollars for a week long fishing and lodging package. We offer everything and are totally custom!

Soldotna and Sterling on the Kenai Peninsula have the best fishing accessible by vehicle and is located several hours south of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city.

On average plan on spending on average $200-600 dollars per day per person for fishing depending on the trip you are doing. You can pay per person or have private boat options. you can book a day trip or decide on a package for fishing and lodging.

Yes and we recommend you use a repuitable guide service if you are visiting. You will catch more fish and be in the game instantly! You can also fish on your own, however you will have much more success when you hire someone who knows the local waters.

The summer months are the best time of year to go fishing in Alaska. Each month from mid May to Mid October offers different peak seasons for each species of fish! Calling a service like Alaska Drift Away Fishing helps get you here when the fishing you want to do is peaking!

We love rainbow trout fishing and they are some of the biggest in the world on the Kenai River. Trout in the 15lb plus range are seen each season with our company. For salmon fishing some of the larger fish we have caught are king salmon over 50lbs, silver salmon in the 16-18lb range, and sockeye salmon in the 12 plus pound range.

Weather on the Kenai Peninsula in the summer months varies depending on where you are. The Soldotna / Sterling area is a large flat next to the Kenai mountains. It typically is the nicest weather anywhere on the Kenai Peninsula or South Central Alaska, in the 55-70 degree range w/ less precipitation.

When fishing with us we see wildlife quite often including moose, bear, eagles, birds, and sometimes a wolf or fox. We typically see them close by, but haven't had any close encounters with any wildlife that was dangerous. Now we are in Alaska and surprises can occur.

Each month has it's peak time to fish for different species. You can catch salmon on the Kenai or Kasilof river from May to October. Our rainbow trout season for guiding is from June 11 to Oct 15th. Halibut is available from May to October on the ocean.

Salmon are the most popular fish caught in Alaska. There are 5 different species of salmon that come throughout the spring, summer, and fall months annually. The Kenai Peninsula is some of the most accessible and productive waters in the state.

Non residents that are 16 and older must have a fishing license valid for each day they are fishing anywhere in Alaska. You can purchase a 1 day license, an annual license, or anything in between and the cost ranges from $15-$100. You will also need a King salmon stamp if you plan to target kings. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm%3Fadfg%3Dlicense.pricinglist

Residents that are 18 and older must have a fishing license valid for each day they are fishing anywhere in Alaska. You can purchase a 1 day license, an annual license, or anything in between and the cost ranges from $15-$100. You will also need a King salmon stamp if you plan to target kings. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm%3Fadfg%3Dlicense.pricinglist

The best fishing trip in Alaska depends on what your goals. Rather then what is the best fishing trip in Alaska it may be more important to determine what you want to fish for and then talk with a professional to help guide you with when you should visit. It is a much better experience if you imerse yourself into multiple days of fishing rather then one day as you will see more rods bent with the more time you put in.

Yes you can DIY when fishing in Alaska without a guide. However, your odds of success will be night and day different if you choose to hire a fishing guide for your Alaska fishing trip.

One week is the minimum time that I would spend in Alaska if I was taking a trip to the last frontier. It may be more appropriate to spend one week plus your travel days, so closer to 9-10 days total. If you only have one week then you need to decide where you are going and focus your energy around that particular area. If you are spending 2-3 weeks in Alaska then you can visit different parts of the state. It all depends on what your goals and timelines are. Once again, talking with someone that operates a business up here is key.

Driving in Alaska is relatively easy, especially if you are flying into Anchorage, where there are hundreds of miles of paved highway leading to different communities. Now there are places you can only get to by boat or plane but those are pretty mapped out as well!

The cost for a week in Alaska can vary depending on if you are on your own, if you book guided adventures, or if you set up an all inclusive package. By the time you add flights, rental car, lodging, food, and the cost of any trips or packages you do the price could range from $2,000.00-10,000.00. Working with someone like Alaska Drift Away Fishing or Silvertip Lodge and Cabins allows you to customize your trip to suit your needs and budget.

You can bring back as much fish as you can legally catch each day you fish. Most people end up vacuum sealing and freezing their fish. Then they pack the fish in a fish box which will last on average 30 hours before any fish in the box starts to thaw. The cost of putting the fish box under the airplane varies on baggage fee costs but is way more reasonable then shipping it overnight back home.

2 per person per day in Alaska. This year one any size and one 28 inches or less in South Central zones.

Halibut is one of the easier fish in Alaska for anglers to catch providing the captain has good spots marked on their instruments.