Fishing in Seward

Of all the activities that Alaska has to offer, fishing is far and away the number one activity enjoyed by visitors. A few good days of fishing here can easily fill the largest of home freezers. Halibut and Salmon are the main species sought after by sport fishing. Statewide, more than one hundred million salmon make the journey from the salty ocean to the clear water of their natal streams. This journey can last for weeks and take them more than one thousand miles. It's still not known how these fish can travel the ocean for years and then find their way back to the same stretch of water they were born in. Some of these fish travel hundreds of miles inland to spawn in a trickling creek no wider than a bathtub. Alaska is home to all five species of the Pacific Salmon. Seward is home to all Pacific Salmon but people who fish come here to target the top two; King's and Silver's.

 The largest of all salmon is the King Salmon and Alaska King Salmon are the biggest in the world. For more years than anyone can remember, Alaska has held the number one spot for the sport fishing caught World Record King Salmon; the latest being a 97lb. 4oz. fish that was caught in 1985. The largest salmon ever caught by any means was a 126 lb. behemoth trapped in a fish wheel near Petersburg Alaska in 1949. Seward has a large return of stocked King's in June and July. Most of them are caught from a boat but many are caught from the shoreline around the Sea Life Center to the outlet of Lowell Creek.

Silver Salmon have the distinction of being the most aggressive and hardest fighting of all the salmon. They weigh an average of 9-15 pounds and some weigh over 20 pounds. Seward is home to the largest Silver Salmon Derby in the Alaska. This popular contest is held in mid-August although the fishing is excellent by mid July as nearly 100,000 silvers make their way back to Resurrection Bay.

Because of their large size, exceptional taste and abundance, Pacific Halibut are the most sought after saltwater fish in Alaska. Their average weight is 40-50 pounds and their flaky white flesh is one of the finest tasting fish in the world. Growing to a length of up to 8 feet and weighing more than 400 pounds, catching a large halibut has been compared to pulling a piece of plywood off the ocean floor. Large halibut are usually shot with a handgun before being brought on the boat because of their destructive habit of wildly flopping around in a unforgiving attempt to return to water. This defiance is detrimental to anything nearby, most notably fishing poles and people's legs. Take your knife to one of these and you'll end up with more than one hundred pounds of filets.

 There are over one hundred charter boats available for salmon and halibut fishing and they do get booked full at peak fishing times so book well in advance.

The Fish House books charters for more than 60 Boats