Big Sky Charter & Fishcamp

Guests of the lodge have the option of fishing for three of the five species of Pacific Salmon. Those are the Chinook or King Salmon, the Sockeye or Red Salmon, and the Coho or Silver Salmon. Also available are both Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden. For those who enjoy saltwater fishing, there is an opportunity to fish for Pacific Halibut too.

Fishermen can opt to drift fish or fish from the shore. The lodge provides most of the fishing equipment needed to have an excellent fishing adventure. There is also the option that the lodge will clean, fillet, package, and free your fish for you for $1.50 per pound.

The fishing season starts off with the Chinook Salmon. There is a reason they are called King Salmon. The Record for a King Salmon caught by a sports fishermen in Alaska is 126 pounds. The Kings run from the first week of July through the second or third week of July. The run is short, the fishing is intense.

The Sockeye Salmon run from June through July. There are two runs, and they show up by the millions. Sockeye are popular for a variety of reasons. One, they are considered to be the best eating salmon of the Pacific group. Two, they put up a decent fight. They are different from the Kings because these are smaller fish. 10-15 pounds is common. The Kings bend the rod because they weigh from 15-70 pound or more.

The Silver Salmon show up from August through September. Silvers ring in at 10-12 pounds, but they fight as though they weigh 30 pounds. These are dynamic fish with plenty of spunk. Expect them to breach, roll, and heat up the drag on your reel.

The Halibut weigh in between 40-100 pounds in Cook Inlet. They can weigh upwards of 1000 pounds, but those are more for commercial fishermen with a harpoon. The 40-100-pound halibut will wear you down.

The Kenai offers a vast amount of fishing opportunities. Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden are also excellent targets.