Ketchikan fishing tours are small charters for salmon and halibut: six anglers at most, four to six hours, with the rods, tackle and bait supplied. You buy the fishing licence yourself before you sail. Each needs two or three people per booking, so bring your party.
Four, five or six hours for salmon, halibut or both, with rods, tackle, bait and soft drinks supplied. Your party only; at least three per booking, two of them adults. Licence extra.
From $700 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Four hours from the Berth 3 visitor center, fishing for halibut, with whale and wildlife watching on the way. Tackle, bait, water and snacks are aboard. Your party only, three to six.
From $499 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Four hours from Berth 3, fishing for salmon with whales and eagles on the way. Six anglers at most, and the boat is marked wheelchair accessible. Your fishing licence is extra.
From $489 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Four, five or six hours port to port, for halibut and salmon. The captain meets you at the cruise docks and the boat is about five minutes' walk. Licence and king salmon stamp extra.
From $685 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Salmon with whales and eagles on the way, six anglers at most, on a boat marked wheelchair accessible.
Check availability from $489A charter boat, a captain and a small party of anglers, out for four to six hours for salmon, halibut or both. You fish. The captain finds the water and supplies the rods, reels, tackle and bait. You buy your own licence.
These are small boats: six anglers is the most any of them takes. Most are sold to your party only, and every one sets a minimum of two or three people per booking.
Salmon and halibut are the two targets, and you pick which when you book. The longer charters give you five or six hours to try for both.
Rods, reels, tackle and bait are on every boat. Snacks and water are aboard the Berth 3 boats, soft drinks on the Front Street charter. You bring warm layers and the licence.
Charters leave from Berth 3 and from 30 Front Street, and on one the captain meets you at the cruise docks. From Berths 1 to 4 you walk to every one.
The four-hour salmon charter is marked wheelchair accessible, surfaces and transport both. So is the crab boat, if you would rather watch than fish.
Both are about Ketchikan's fishing. On one you fish; on the other you watch professionals do it.
| A fishing charter | The crab boat | |
|---|---|---|
| Who fishes | You do | The crew hauls the pots |
| Licence | Yes, bought before you go | None needed |
| Group | Two to six anglers | A big working boat |
| Time | 4 to 6 hours | 3 hours |
| Wheelchair access | The four-hour salmon charter | Yes |
| Fare | $489 to $700 a person | $249 a person |
If you want a rod in your hand, charter. If you want to see a 700-pound king crab pot come aboard and hear the crew's stories, the crab boat does it for less and in sheltered water.
Fares run from $489 to $700 a person, and every charter refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead. Mind the minimums: three per booking on most charters, two on the $685 private charter. The $700 charter wants at least two adults among the three.
Buy the licence online from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game before you sail. A nonresident one-day sport fishing licence is $15, and a one-day king salmon stamp is another $15. A three-day licence is $30 and a seven-day one $45. One charter notes that anglers under 16 need no licence; confirm yours on the ADF&G site.
Dress for rain and wind: the longer charters operate in all weather. If you are prone to seasickness, take your remedy before you board.
If you have back problems or a heart condition, most charters advise against joining. If you are travelling alone, the minimums make a charter hard to book; the crab boat or one of the Ketchikan whale watching tours takes single travellers. And if your party only wants to see fish, the salmon ladder on Ketchikan Creek is a walk from the ship, and the creek fills with salmon in July and August.
Salmon and halibut on one charter, with the gear and soft drinks supplied, sold to your party only.
Check availability from $700Next: the berths on the cruise port page, and the working-boat alternative on the crab boat tour. Every tour sits side by side on Ketchikan Alaska Tours.