Alaska. The name alone brings to mind the rugged peaks of snow-capped mountains, the icy beauty of more than 100,000 glaciers, and the brilliant colors of the aurora borealis spreading across the starry sky. A trip to Alaska takes you to a land of pristine natural beauty, and a fishing trip should be no exception. 
At the Gone Fishin’ Lodge, you will find the opportunity not only to take advantage of the tremendous fishing to be had in the waters of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula but also to experience the exhilarating beauty of your surroundings.
Located on the banks of the Kenai River, famous for its salmon fishing, Gone Fishin’ Lodge offers a wide variety of fishing and sightseeing trips that allow you to see and fish the way you want to. Take advantage of the lodge’s many different pre-planned trips, or customise a trip to suit your needs and the time of your visit.
“People that I meet are always asking me when the best time to fish is. My answer is always the same: it’s good fishing every week of the season, it’s just always changing with the different runs of salmon,” lodge owner Ralph Crystal said. “Our job is, and always has been, to provide our guests with the best possible fishing options.”
The fishing season begins in early May with Gone Fishin’ Lodge’s halibut and king salmon combination trip. Start the day near the rugged shore of the Cook Inlet trolling for migrating king salmon. Then, when the tide is right, set sail for deeper waters in search of halibut. This trip offers anglers the opportunity to catch both king salmon and halibut in the same day.
In early June, the king and red salmon - also called sockeye salmon - enter the Kenai and Kasilof rivers on the Kenai Peninsula. Fishing is fantastic for salmon on these two rivers. During the same time period guests are flown across the Cook Inlet on float planes to explore and fish inland waters for the sockeye salmon. But guests aren't the only ones fishing for salmon. In the pristine wilderness, brown bear are also fishing, so a fly out is the perfect way to photograph these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Halibut fishing is also excellent during the month of June.
Trophy rainbow trout and dolly varden fishing opens June 11th on the upper Kenai, and a visit to the Kenai Canyon offers world class fishing action amidst dazzling mountain scenery. The Kenai
Canyon gets less fishing pressure than other areas and offers you more frequent wildlife sightings. All fishing on the upper river section is done by drift boat or rafts.
In July, the second run of king and red salmon is underway on the Kenai and Kasilof rivers. King salmon are almost always fished from a drift or power boat, and the red salmon are almost exclusively fished and caught from shore. Pound for pound, red salmon are one of the toughest fighting fish that you'll ever hook into. Also in July and continuing throughout August over in Seward, Gone Fishin’ Lodge offers a multiple species trip that we have an opportunity to catch halibut, ling cod, silver salmon, yellow eye and black bass. King salmon season ends on July 31st. Halibut fishing remains great during the month of July.
While king salmon season ends on July 31st, late summer offers you still more fishing opportunities. In mid July and throughout August the silver salmon start to enter the waters of the Kenai Peninsula 
and surrounding area providing more fishing opportunities. The feisty silver salmon are hard-fighting and acrobatic fish that offer you an exciting day on the water. Take a float plane fly-out trip into remote areas to enjoy a day in the untouched wilderness fishing for these exciting fish. Halibut fishing remains excellent throughout August with a two fish per person limit every day throughout the season.
If you want to take a break from fishing and just appreciate the scenery, Gone Fishin’ Lodge offers an eight-hour tour of Kenai Fjords National Park. This wildlife and glacier cruise gives passengers a chance to view an active tidewater glacier as well as an abundance of wildlife: whales, porpoises, sea lions, sea otters, puffins, and more.
“I always tell people who want to go sightseeing that we do that every day,” Crystal said. “We just have a fishing pole in our hands while we’re sightseeing!”
No matter when you visit Gone Fishin’ Lodge, you’re sure to find an exciting day of sport fishing waiting for you among the mountains, woods, and waters of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. More than just a fishing trip, a stay at Gone Fishin’ Lodge offers you a way to experience the natural beauty of Alaska.
