'Gone Fishing': Deep Sea Fishing in Alaska

In our "Gone Fishing" series, we explore picturesque deep-sea-fishing sites across the globe with 100-foot+ deep waters that entice anglers with the promise of trophy catches like marlin, swordfish and tuna. Be sure to bring a sense of adventure, patience and strength to these incredible locations — and a little bit of luck never hurts.

While Alaska isn’t known for its beaches, in truth it boasts more ocean coastline than any other state. Accordingly, the “Last Frontier” offers ample opportunity for sport fishing.

“Alaska has such prolific fishing waters that almost everyone catches something,” says Martin Behr, president of National Parks Revealed. Charter a boat from one of four main ports— Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Ketchikan—or opt to stay in a fishing-focused lodge equipped with its own gear and vessels. Anglers of all skill levels can participate in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Five Salmon Family certificate program, which challenges families to catch all five species of Pacific salmon commonly found throughout the state. Travelers wishing to enjoy their Alaskan catch long after they’ve left can arrange to have their haul cleaned, frozen, vacuum-packed and shipped home. As Behr says, “anyone can serve fish from the supermarket, but those don’t come with great stories.”

Where to Stay

Tikchik Narrows Lodge

Tikchik Lake, Alaska

Fly-in/fly-out sportfishing lodge in the unspoiled lake region of Bristol Bay within the 1.5 million-acre Wood-Tikchik State Park.

>>Click here to view Andrew Harper's Top 10 Fly-Fishing Lodges and Resorts

This piece originally appear in the Traveler magazine. Click here to access the full issue.