10. The Location Is an Angler’s Dream
Prince of Wales Island near Alaska’s Inside Passage has been a top draw for fishermen since the late 1800s. Off the remote island’s craggy western shore, a nutrient-rich spring and a confluence of ocean currents create an ideal habitat for millions of baitfish, which draw epic seasonal runs of king and silver salmon, as well as an abundance of halibut, lingcod, and more than 20 other fish species.
9. A 100-Year-Old Fishing Legacy
Established in 1912 and operating until the 1970s, Waterfall Cannery, was a rugged community of fish trappers, seiners, and line crew, all joining together to manage what became a record-busting salmon cannery, the most productive operation in Alaska. And why stop there? Building on a century of angling prowess, Waterfall Resort has gone on to acclaim as one of the finest fishing destinations in the world. Click here to learn more.
8. The Best Guides, Boats, and Gear—and Bait Aplenty
Their expert U.S. Coast Guard licensed guides are your best friends on the water, and the 26-foot aluminum cabin cruisers are equipped with shock-absorbent seats, heated cabins, Furuno marine electronics, private heads, and an arsenal of field-tested equipment, from G. Loomis and Berkley rods to Shimano reels and Eagle Claw hooks. They also throw in unlimited bait (!) and your tireless guide sets the hook for you every single time….
7. No Fish Box Lugging
Sure, they trim and process all your fish to your specifications, but they like to kick it up a notch. They also pack your catch in a wet-lock fish box and, on your departure day, the on-site Alaska Airlines agent checks in your bags and fish boxes through to your destination. When you arrive in Ketchikan, you whiz through security and board your connecting flights home, and your luggage and fish boxes meet you there.
6. Hearty Dining and a Kick-Ass Saloon
When it comes to dining, enjoy hearty Alaska-style fare. We’re talking the Dining Room’s ample all-you-can-eat buffet, the scene of energy-stoking hot breakfasts, a nightly fresh seafood appetizer table, thick cuts of beef, the wildest fillets, soups, salads, Pacific Coast wines, a battalion of homemade desserts, an ice-cream station…. And before and after dinner, guests hit the Lagoon Saloon, the fisherman’s outpost with fully stocked bar, to swap fish tales, tip bottles, and play a mean game of ping-pong.
5. Bunking in Former Cannery Crew Quarters
The Boardwalk Cabins and Lodge Rooms once housed the intrepid crew working the salmon runs that made Waterfall Cannery its name. And did we mention that salmon roe was once stored in what has since morphed into our Egg House Suites? Of course, everything at Waterfall Resort has been renovated to deliver modern-day comforts while preserving the spirit of our early days, and we swear a stay at Waterfall adds a little sea swagger to your step.
4. The 90-plus Crew Members at Your Service
Waterfall is the Alaska fishing lodge with the unparalleled one-to-one staff-to-guest ratio. The sole aim of the Waterfall crew is to see that you have the best-ever wild Alaska fishing adventure, from arrival to departure.
3. The Ultimate Adventure Photo Op
Capture your scrappy pals reeling in mighty Chinooks and jumbo halibut while humongous humpbacks surface within feet of your cruiser, and bald eagles swoop and dive-bomb overhead. Shoot selfies at the center of the action, geared up in swashbuckling neoprene boots and neon yellow rain gear during your great escape to your superlatively remote Alaska fishing lodge accessible only by air or sea amid the wilds of the unfathomably vast, gazillion-acre Tongass National Forest.
2. Amazing Fish Stories
And they’re true.
1. You WILL Catch Fish!
Waterfall Resort guests have been known to bring home half their own body weight in wild Alaska fish steaks and fillets. Need we say more?
