We had an amazing private fishing experience with Captain Ray Kolean June 22nd 2018!!! Pulled in…read moreour first King salmon and had 2 more on the lines before any other fishing boats were even in the area. Enjoyed his cowboy coffee, wonderful conversation, saw some beautiful bald eagles and a whale do a spin (no time for pics but was better than the whale watching we paid for in Juneau!) Also had time to check out the town of Ketchikan since we caught our limit so quickly. After reading reviews online, I wanted a hands on private charter for our family vacation and didn't want to be stuck with a group of strangers herded from the cruise line. It was also a bit cheaper to book your own charter. Captain Ray was highly recommended by another Captain who happened to be booked. I'm so glad for the recommendation because we had a blast! Once the other boats were out in our area we all kinda hung out a bit; which was more fun once they started catching too! *Tips: He advised us to get our licenses online before leaving home which put us on the water before the cruise ship excursion led their herd to the charter dock... Also NO Bananas, they're bad luck!

What an awesome time we had on Ray's charter boat! Ray was very friendly and helpful during the…read moreentire trip. He first meet us at specified location early in the morning (8am?) which was right in front of our cruise ship. My girlfriend and I checked in, paid for all of our fishing license and King Salmon Stamp, then we were off for an adventure! First things first, Ray was very professional and covered all the safety information on his boat, then even brew us a fresh pot of hot coffee. There was a total of four passengers on our boat. Ray took us out to where all the fish were biting from his research earlier that day. We were there Mid June, 2013 and it wasn't quite the season for salmon fishing, but Ray was very positive and said he thinks we will be able to catch one. All of us actually had bites throughout the day, but no King Salmon, we caught some other type of fish that we had to throw back. I was getting quite bored, so I was taking pictures of all the bald eagles flying around like a good Asian tourist does. Ray even threw in some bait close to the boat and said get ready, an eagle is coming by and sure enough, click click, I got a great shot! So, 1pm rolled around and I was pretty bummed that we didn't catch a King Salmon and at 2pm we had to go back to the cruise ship. Ray was trying really hard to get to where all the fish were at and communicating with the other boats nearby. That day, I think only one or two boats caught anything. Now, it's 1:15ish and I'm like crap......I spend all this money, and none of us caught anything, and I'm gonna have to Photoshop me with a fish when I head back home to show all my friends. Then minutes later, the line got hooked........hard.....I jumped like a little girl and grabbed the fishing pole. It was fighting like a monster, but I wasn't gonna let it go. Ray advised me to give it some slack, then reel his ass in! (Beast Mode) Five minutes into it, my arms was getting sore, I should of done more CrossFit!!! So, seven minutes went by, and arms were about to fall off, then I finally got my first glance of the shadow of the fish, and I was like Dammmmm! Look like that Bad Boy. Ray grabbed the net, then knocked him out with a club. We estimate the King Salmon was about 25 pounds. I highly recommend this charter, we had a blast and I was able to cross off one of my things on my bucket list!!! PS. If you like talking about firearms, Ray is all about that; He may talk your ears out tho, so you have been warned. :)

We docked at The Mill at Ward Cove while stopping in Ketchikan on the Norwegian Bliss. At first, we…read morehonestly weren't sure what we were looking at because it looked like an old factory of some sort. Then we found out that's exactly what it was! The owner actually ended up being our shuttle driver over to see the Lumberjack Show and shared some of the history with us. He told us his father was the last person to lock the gates to the old pulp mill when it closed in 1997. We absolutely loved hearing that he now owns the property himself -- such a full circle moment and an incredible story. The building at Ward Cove was filled with merchandise to buy such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, snacks, jewelry... the list goes on and on. There were even a few local vendors set up selling their goods, which we really enjoyed. We also noticed the prices at Ward Cove were a little cheaper and the taxes were less as well. We did take the shuttle bus into town, and it was a very simple process. The ride was maybe 15-20 minutes at most, and they dropped us off and picked us back up at the same location, which made everything very easy and convenient. We really wish we would have taken a video of what the property looks like now so that when we go back in a few years, we can compare all of the improvements. They also shared a few exciting things planned for the next several years, and it sounds like this place is going to become something really special. The atmosphere, history, waterfront views, shopping, and friendly people made this such a memorable stop in Ketchikan. Definitely worth taking the time to explore while visiting Alaska!

We visited The Mill at Ward Cove during our Norwegian Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Bliss, and…read morethis is the port where Norwegian ships dock instead of downtown Ketchikan. The moment you step off the ship, you walk right into a huge warehouse marketplace filled with multiple shops and tons of Alaska‑themed merchandise. There are so many souvenirs, clothing items, snacks, and gifts that it's easy to spend time browsing before heading into town. To reach downtown Ketchikan, you pass through The Mill to get to the shuttle buses, and sometimes there's even a live singer with a guitar performing while guests wait -- a nice touch that makes the line more enjoyable. Overall, The Mill at Ward Cove is a convenient and lively first stop for anyone arriving on a Norwegian Alaska cruise, with plenty of shopping and an easy setup for getting into town.

Date of visit: July 19, 2025…read more We stopped at the restaurant here as part of a cruise excursion that took us around Ketchikan. This meal was a bit of a mixed bag, though more about presentation and delivery than about food. Our group was met outside by the food and beverage manager, who looked very proud of himself and his position. He welcomed us but then went into a lecture about how the seating will be arranged and not to get lost after the meal going to look at their waterfall because people have gotten lost in the past... The seating was a cluster. F&B Man started yelling out, "Do I have a party of 9?" If no takers, he then went down to the next number and so on until we got a winner and that's how we were seated. Now obviously I am not a professional seater or restaurant host, but given that this excursion was signed up for quite some time ago and the bus driver contacted the restaurant earlier in the day to advise of the number of kids meals and food allergy/sensitivity guests they would have, couldn't they also ask the driver to provide the number of guests and how many in each party? Our friend doesn't do seafood and he shared that with the bus driver. He was served a bacon cheeseburger; no inquiry about if he ate beef and/or pork, or how he would want it prepared... Thankfully he said it was great! At any rate, we all got seated like good little cattle and were served their Taste of Alaska; halibut with lemon, crab cake, salmon and some rice. I thought everything was quite good, though the salmon was a bit on the drier side. Dessert was a berry cobbler that was nothing to write home about--could have used some ice cream to pep it up a bit.

This review is for the Salmon Falls Restaurant. We came for dinner with locals…read more The resort itself is gorgeous. The restaurant is classy and looks exactly like an Alaskan lodge should look--with huge picture windows looking out onto the Tongas Narrows. The atmosphere is spot on. The menu seems extremely limited. We were there the first week in September so maybe they were cutting down the menu in view of the seasonal closing coming soon. I had a Ribeye which was $60+ and was kinda average. Very fatty, even for a ribeye. The sides (whipped potatoes and carrots) were good, but kind of skimpy. My wife wound up sending back her tomato soup which had some undercooked chickpeas. The good was good, but we were not wowed. Maybe it was just a bad night late in the season. I know that our local friends consider this to be one of the nicest restaurants in Ketchikan. I would try it again next year.

Fished with Captian Josh on 6/8/2012 on a 4 hour salmon fishing charter during a shore excursion…read morefrom our HAL cruise. Definitely 4 hours is not long enough but Josh did everything he could to make it productive and comfortable. 4 adults fished and my nephew and neice did a ride along ($50 per ride along). Captain Josh is a born and raised Ketchikan local so he knows the area well and is super accomodating to cruise visitors (like us). He did warn us that fishing has been slow the past few days and he was so worried that we wouldn't catch anything. In the last 45 mins we did catch a 28lb salmon, but we totally did not feel that our day was wasted. The scenery is breath taking, there was bald eagles everywhere and tons of jelly fish in the water so for first timers to Ketchikan, we had a great time. There's a lot of other charters out there and the cruise lines actually offer their own but Salty Sea Charter was a good $60 cheaper and I feel, more personalized as we were dealing with the mass crowd of a cruise line booking. If I ever have the priviledge of visiting Ketchikan again, I'd definitely go fishing with Satly Sea Charters again. Pros: -The boat was really clean and nice. Spacious enough for 7 big bodies person to hang out in -They provided snacks and drinks (chips, some AMAZING smoked salmon made by Josh the day before & cookies.) -Can bring beer on the boat -Can sashimi your catch on the boat too! But we just didn't have time to do it =( -Josh handled all the baiting and rig set up so all you had to do was reel em' in. -captian Josh was friendly, honest and easy to talk to, very important if you're gonna be sitting together on a boat waiting for a while. Cons: -the fish weren't biting that day!

I must say that Josh & Ivy of Salty Sea Charters were awesome! My husband & I went on a 1/2 day…read morefishing trip with Josh on 8/12/11. This was a perfect option as we were only in port from 6-1. It was incredible!!! Beautiful day, nice boat, awesome captain (Josh) and an absolutely, fantastic time fishing. Don't let me forget Ivy, who took care of all the back office work. Thanks Ivy!! Once we caught our salmon limit, Josh kept us out for our full time on board and tried for King Salmon. Caught a few Rock Fish and a few King Salmon, but too small, one being only 1/8" too short of the 28" min! We completely respected Josh's honesty by releasing the "not legal" salmon back to the water. We have so many memories & pictures of a wonderful time with Salty Sea Charters. Super fun people and would go back and fish with them any chance we get!!!! Josh & Ivy.... YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!! Thank you for an incredible experience. Steve & Stacy Craig of Auburn, California

Besides the lame name, the charter is not worth the money. The crew was stoned, I could smell pot…read morein the cabin, and we basically went on an expensive boat ride. I talked to some locals when we got back to shore and they all said the charter is a rip off.

It's been quite some time since my family and I took a spin out to Herring Cove with Sean but now…read morethat I'm finally catching up to the 21st century and using Yelp I wanted to give my two cents since we had such an amazing experience. We hauled in King after King, some 16 in total, over 4 hours while we watched nearby vessels scratching their heads with their lines loose. I don't know how he did it but my extended family, up from California, was convinced that he was a magician and they were so pleased to have freezers full of Alaskan King for months to come. I couldn't recommend Sean more highly.

Worman Sportfishing is great! Kyle is knowledgeable and worked really hard to make our trip…read moreamazing. It's fishing and you can't control if you catch or not but I'm sure Kyle put us in the best position to catch fish. Also he's a cool guy and that's important considering you're on a boat with him all day. The longer Story: We went out with Kyle for two days 7/31 -8/1/17. We got lucky with phenomenal weather (75 and clear) and great fishing conditions. On a full day charter you can go further out to try spots only other full day charters/commercial boats use. Going further out means you'll be travelling awhile, and we had a good time exchanging stories and chatting. I was one of the assholes who figured "It's Alaska, throw a rock and you hit five fish" but after actually fishing up there, it's still fishing. Sometimes you have bites, but most of the time your'e chasing fish. With a captain like Kyle you get to be in the best position to catch fish. He was knowledgeable about where to go, what to do, and how to do it. Our group ranged from experienced fisherman who've been to Alaska and crappy new guys (me). Kyle was good about giving us the information we needed. We found out how not to hurt or kill each other/ourselves. And also catch fish. Our group enjoyed our trip so much our discussions aren't if we want to go back, but when. Since you might want to know, The first day we got our max for Silver Salmon but had a rougher go with Halibut and Rockfish. The second day was the opposite and we had a rough go with the Salmon but maxed rockfish and Halibut. We flew home with a nice blend of fish.

Kyle was awesome! Super knowledgeable about the best spots to fish and was great company to be…read morearound. We had 2 full day charters with Kyle, and on day 3 we decided to rent our own boat and try our luck with that. Kyle didn't hesitate at all to help us as much as he could on our solo adventure. We had such a great time. Thanks Kyle for such a great time

Myself and friends, and our wife's have fished with Kit. He is very professional and fun. Caught…read moreour limits every day. Have been on two different trips. Both times we had a great time. Accommodations are excellent, fish packaging equipment and supplies were there to use. And a vehicle to use to get to the dock, and to go to town for whatever we needed. Full kitchen and bbq. Buy your own food and fix your own meals. The cabin/house is a two story home , two bath. Perfect set up. Thank you Kit. (Arlin)

We've been attempting to do a guys fishing trip every 5 years, but its been 6 years since our last…read moreweek long visit. The charter we usually go with had a break down, so he personally referred us to Kit, the Owner and Operator of Alaskan Dream Sportfishing. Working out of Knudson Cove (about a 24 minute drive from the downtown and the cruise ships), we were met exactly at 6:30am at the marina by his boat. Clean fishing boat that sat the 5 of us comfortably, with a big back deck to run around and fish off of. Also, there's an area to get out of the weather (wind, sun, rain) along with a toilet. We were taken on an hour and a half boat ride to who knows where, and as we approached the fishing grounds, we were greeted by pods of humpback whales and porpoises breaching at the surface. Kit set up the rods for each of us in under 5 minutes, and with in a matter of seconds, we were hooked into a silver and king salmon. Let's just say, he put us right on top of the fish!! Even with about 15+ lost fish, a couple of tangles, and broken rings on the hooks, Kit got our lines back in the water and kept us fishing, or in our case, catching! We hit our limits (30 salmon between the 5 of us) in an hour!! Then we took a short boat ride away and switch rods and set ups, and BOOOM! We were right ontop of the halibut now! We did have to battle a sea lion that gave us hell, but we were still able to land our limits of halibut. Made it back to the marina in the early afternoon, helped clean all of our fish, and then it was time for some cold beers with our Captain. This was THE BEST DAY of fishing we've all ever had! About Kit; Extremely professional! Felt like all of us were old friends, having a great time fishing and raggin' on each other, because thats what guys do. He did not show any signs of anger, frustration, or awkwardness our entire time with him. He continued to keep his composure and was a happy go lucky type of guy. His enthusiasm for fishing is infectious! He's a local family man, born and raised in Ketchikan and has always been on the water. Coming soon... he's in the process of finishing up a guest house for guest lodging. Check out his website for packages, lodging, and other details. He also takes out Cruise Ship Passengers for half day trips. Please contact him or look at his website for details.

Had a great time with Captain Don on the Silver King. His communication through email was great…read moreand I booked direct with him. His boat was docked RIGHT at the cruise dock and he met us there as we debarked from our Holland America ship. What service! Compared to the other ridiculously expensive excursions in Alaska, this was a great deal b/c we only had SIX people on our private charter and for about as much money as we would have spent to go on a cheesy "tour a crab fishing boat" excursion! The process was new to me, trolling for salmon, so rather than stand with a pole in your hand the whole time, all the poles are hooked up and trolling. We drew numbers as we headed out of port, and when the pole jerks up, if it's your turn you grab ahold and start reeling! Captain Don was enthusiastic and his excitement made me feel like we were definitely going to catch some salmon today, and catch we did!!! On the way back, you stop at the processing center to have you salmon cut up, smoked, etc and shipped back home. As he said, "I hate fishing!!! .... I like CATCHING!" haha. I caught three salmon during our 4 hour trip (which Captain Don actually ended a little bit too, how awesome!) and my husband caught two. A mix of pinks and silvers salmon were caught by our group of 6. Captain Don was very personable, told funny jokes because he feels it's good luck. You can tell he's good, b/c two of the people on our charter had fished with him multiple times, every single time they came back to Ketchikan! Repeat business says something! The boat itself, well, it's a fishing vessel. It's not fancy. The interior cabin is a bit musty so I preferred to stay out on deck. Captain Don offered snacks and cold beverages. There is a "head" below deck on the boat, but it is teeny tiny ! We saw a bald eagle, but unfortunately no whales. He took us by some totem poles on the ride back to port. Just an excellent day!!!! Be sure to dress in layers WARM b/c towards the end of the 4 hour trip, the winds kicked up and a storm was brewing and it got quite quite chilly!