Getting to Ketchikan for a Fishing Trip
Ketchikan feels remote, and that’s part of the appeal, but it is one of the easiest places in Alaska to actually reach. It sits at the southern tip of Southeast Alaska, closer to Seattle than to Anchorage, and there are no roads in, so you arrive by air or by water. The planning is straightforward once you know how the pieces fit together.
Flying in
Most guests fly to Ketchikan International Airport (KTN) by jet via Seattle, and the hop from Seattle is short, one of the quickest ways to trade a city for Alaska anywhere on the map. Same-day connections are common, so many guests land in Ketchikan the day they leave home. Check current schedules when you book flights, and give yourself a buffer on the front end of a fishing day rather than planning to land and fish within a couple of hours.
One Ketchikan quirk worth knowing: the airport sits on Gravina Island, across the channel from town, and a short vehicle-and-passenger ferry connects the two. It runs frequently and it is a simple, scenic five-minute crossing, but budget it into your arrival plans.
Arriving by cruise ship
Ketchikan is a major cruise port, and fishing during a port stop is possible when the schedule cooperates. The math on port windows is its own subject, and we’ve laid it out in plain terms on the cruise ship fishing page.
Getting to the boat
Our charters meet at Clover Pass Resort, about 15 miles north of downtown Ketchikan on North Point Higgins Road. Budget 20 to 25 minutes for the drive, and leave a little earlier than that for a 6 a.m. departure. Taxis and ride services operate in town, rental cars are available near the airport, and Alaska Fishing Company also has access to a rental car for guests; ask us about transportation when you book and we’ll help you sort out the simplest plan. If you’d rather skip the morning drive entirely, consider staying near Clover Pass.
Timing your trip around the fishing
- Arrive the day before your charter. Full days start around 6 a.m., and nobody enjoys fishing on a red-eye.
- Leave the day after, or later. It protects your trip from travel delays and gives your processed fish time to be boxed for the flight home. See how fish processing works.
- Book the charter before you finalize flights if you can. Prime full-day dates in July and August go early; it’s easier to fit flights to a confirmed boat than the reverse.