# RVing and fishing in Alaska



## TheMAIT

Hi all- 
Taking an RV around Alaska the last two weeks of August with my wife and 5 year old son. Was looking for suggestions of places I could access fairly easily to do some fishing for salmon, trout, etc.... Especially looking for some places where my son could actually catch fish without the need to do any wading or getting in a boat. Thanks in advance!!!


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## aces-n-eights

It's a Pink (salmon) year on the Kenai River - every even year the pinks run - so you should be able to get into some later in August. There will be a few lingering sockeyes at that time, but the main run will be over by mid Aug. I would suggest Centennial Park (a camp ground) in Soldotna, the Visitors Center just south of the bridge over the Kenai in Soldotna has a boardwalk and there are several other public places nearby. Hope also has a good pink run every year with easy access.

Here's a link with the fish counts that are provided by the state:

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/

And here's a link to an outdoor forum very similar to Michigan Sportsman:

https://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/index.php

Scroll down to the fishing subforum and there should be a lot of discussion about fishing statewide. 

Enjoy!


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## TheMAIT

Thanks Aces! From some quick research...looked like we might there for prime Silver time? Odd that you mentioned Soldotna...I lived a summer in a campground in Kenai, working in a fish smoking company and for a Japanese processor, and would head into Soldotna to eat often.


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## OH-YEAH!!!

The Homer Spit will have fresh silvers milling about. Just keep casting and you might get one. The same for the shore in Seward. 

The Russian River has decent access without wading. 

The Ninilchik River where it’s crossed by the highway going down to Homer has decent shore fishing. 

Going up the Parks highway, there were river taxis you could take from Talkeetna to Clear Creek. Good shore fishing. 

I would get your son a paid of kids knee high rubber boots so he can get in a little bit. 

There used to be river taxis you could take from Talkeetna to Clear Creek for like $50 each for a day of fishing. Mahay’s was who we went through. 

Good luck!


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## OH-YEAH!!!

Here’s a video from a family’s 18 day trip to Talkeetna, the Denali glacier field Kenai Fjords and I think Valdez.

It’s my dream to take my son and he’s 5 years old now. Please post photos of your trip. The flights from Talkeetna to see Denali up close and land on the ice field aren’t as crazy expensive as we would’ve thought. Thinking we’ll go when our boy is 8 years old. I’ve been on the Denali bus ride to Kantishna and it’s long but with plenty of bathroom stops. I’d really recommend stops in Talkeetna and an overnight in Healy to see Denali.

If you’re going to Seward, the Kenai Fjords trip is amazing. So much wildlife and you’ll probably see orcas.

Looking forward to seeing your photos.


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## TheMAIT

OH-YEAH!!! said:


> Here’s a video from a family’s 18 day trip to Talkeetna, the Denali glacier field Kenai Fjords and I think Valdez.
> 
> It’s my dream to take my son and he’s 5 years old now. Please post photos of your trip. The flights from Talkeetna to see Denali up close and land on the ice field aren’t as crazy expensive as we would’ve thought. Thinking we’ll go when our boy is 8 years old. I’ve been on the Denali bus ride to Kantishna and it’s long but with plenty of bathroom stops. I’d really recommend stops in Talkeetna and an overnight in Healy to see Denali.
> 
> If you’re going to Seward, the Kenai Fjords trip is amazing. So much wildlife and you’ll probably see orcas.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing your photos.


Will do, Oh Yeah. In 1996 it cost me 680 to fly from Atlanta to Anchorage. This trip cost me 310 round trip. Couldn't pass it up and almost the perfect time of the year to go. Hope you and your son can get up there soon-it's a truly amazing place.


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## aces-n-eights

TheMAIT said:


> Thanks Aces! From some quick research...looked like we might there for prime Silver time? Odd that you mentioned Soldotna...I lived a summer in a campground in Kenai, working in a fish smoking company and for a Japanese processor, and would head into Soldotna to eat often.


Yes, we lived on the Kenai River in Soldotna for 11 years; great place to live. I recall the silvers running in Sept but there may be some early guys in the river late Aug.

Have a great trip and as OhYeah said, i also look forward to seeing pics!


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## TheMAIT

I don't know what was going on when we were up there...but Soldotna=hot chicks in 1996! Maybe it was from staring at salmon for so long...but it seemed like everytime we went into Soldotna...there were no men around and just very attractive girls our age. It holds a fond spot in my heart! lol


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## Shoeman

TheMAIT said:


> I don't know what was going on when we were up there...but Soldotna=hot chicks in 1996! Maybe it was from staring at salmon for so long...but it seemed like everytime we went into Soldotna...there were no men around and just very attractive girls our age. It holds a fond spot in my heart! lol


Yes! I think the men were working oil as one told me


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## TheMAIT

Shoeman said:


> Yes! I think the men were working oil as one told me


I figured they were either on oil or on fishing boats...but we had one of the worst salmon seasons in 50 years...so it must have been just oil!


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## textox

TheMAIT said:


> Hi all-
> Taking an RV around Alaska the last two weeks of August with my wife and 5 year old son. Was looking for suggestions of places I could access fairly easily to do some fishing for salmon, trout, etc.... Especially looking for some places where my son could actually catch fish without the need to do any wading or getting in a boat. Thanks in advance!!!


Valdez,camp right next to Prince William sound across from the town.That campground is primative but out houses and water are available there,you will be parked right adjacent to the beach.Silvers should be in at that time.Catch them on Mepps spinners and Pixie spoons,esp.flo orange. That campground is on Dayville road, its where the oil pipeline terminates.There is a Hatchery on the way in frequented by Bears an added attraction.Easy access to fishing and in 2013 we caught more silvers than we could eat while there (5 of us ),any extras you can have frozen then shipped to you when you get back home..


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## brushbuster

valdez is a good spot for your son, as well as whitier, homer spit has a"fishing hole" that holds silvers, I think its called the hole or lagoon, anyway its a good spot for kids to catch fish. I use to take my 4 and 5 yr old nephews to jim creek in palmer, walk away from the crowds and you can do pretty good in a slough by yourself but that takes a little scouting on your part, and its kinda tough getting back in there. Another spot I use to take them was the eklutna tail race in eklutna. The one boy was four years old and he landed one with a little zebco. sunshine creek up by talkeetna is a local hole pretty easy for a youngster to get one there. Back to whitier, this place is often overlooked, but there is a little creek that crosses the road and dumps into the bay. you can catch fresh chum and some pinks there just casting into the bay next to the culvert. Beautiful spot to catch fish.


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## brushbuster

Also if you go to talkeetna, do a boat drop at clear creek. My nephews use to hammer them there.


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## textox

brushbuster said:


> Also if you go to talkeetna, do a boat drop at clear creek. My nephews use to hammer them there.


Stopped on the Glenn Hwy ,next to the road way was a ditch that was loaded with chum and sockeye.Grand daughter caught a "dog" there..


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## 22 Chuck

Lots of creeks you will pass over have grayling galore in them. Just have to find the right one(s).

Caught a bunch on UL rod w/ 0 size Mepps w/ red/white blade and bucktail. Great eating. Ate 2 --16" myself that night.


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## grapestomper

Seward should have silvers in. Kenai will have silvers and pinks. 
Several of the streams from anchorage along turnigan arm will also have silvers. 
We just got back from 2 weeks there.


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## textox

grapestomper said:


> Seward should have silvers in. Kenai will have silvers and pinks.
> Several of the streams from anchorage along turnigan arm will also have silvers.
> We just got back from 2 weeks there.


Don't overlook Ship Creek right in Anchorage,good shore fishing for silvers if you hit it at the right time(july-sept).If you are renting a motor home in Anchorage ask there or at Sportsmans Warehouse when you get your license.


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## TheMAIT

textox said:


> Don't overlook Ship Creek right in Anchorage,good shore fishing for silvers if you hit it at the right time(july-sept).If you are renting a motor home in Anchorage ask there or at Sportsmans Warehouse when you get your license.


Thanks...watched a couple of videos of people fishing the under the overpass. Look promising if the runs are right. Now I just need to figure out what my rig and tackle needs to be!


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## TheMAIT

grapestomper said:


> Seward should have silvers in. Kenai will have silvers and pinks.
> Several of the streams from anchorage along turnigan arm will also have silvers.
> We just got back from 2 weeks there.


Nice...did you get any fishing in? any success?


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## brushbuster

TheMAIT said:


> Thanks...watched a couple of videos of people fishing the under the overpass. Look promising if the runs are right. Now I just need to figure out what my rig and tackle needs to be!


do you fly fish or spin cast? If spin casting have some pixie lures, vibrax, egg hooks for tying on sein, 10 -14 # test, medium to heavy ugly stick will work.
Fly fishing, have some popsicles, marabou flies, bunny flies, egg sucking leech, dolly lamas, beads. colors.... hot pink, cherise, purple black and white, orange and pink, to name a few. 7-10 wt rods. Any of the above mentioned will get you into fish regularly.


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## Joel/AK

brushbuster said:


> I feel the same way, depending on time and if im doing a road side trip, Valdez, Talkeetna, glenn allen, and the denali highway are my go to places roadside.


Lost half of my exhaust on my blazer on the Denali highway. What an amazing drive


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## textox

Can't imagine how hard it was to leave,pictures really don't do the beauty of that state and all it has to see justice! If i was 30 years younger i would move there.....


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## Joel/AK

My avatar is from the Denali highway. Wife was proxied for caribou. She smoked it on the Paxson side. Roughly-20 temp.


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## Joel/AK

My wife caught a wolf fish one time outta Valdez. When she got it to the surface, i didn't know if I wanted to gaff it or shoot it. Mean **********.

Same trip, buddies wife had her halibut rod out. She was down a ways and all off a sudden, it slapped the water and snapped the line. I think she got on a salmon shark but who knows. Takes a lot to snap those lines.


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## cmark

Early July took a side trip to Whittier. Amazingly calm waters allowed us make it to Montague Island in a 24 ft Kingfisher where we dropped the hook on a 5 acre plateau of 250 ft of water surrounded by 2500 ft. About 65 miles one way. Limited on halibut and yelloweye. This was the biggest at about 75 pounds.


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