Quick Details
Our full-day silver salmon charters in Seward depart at 6AM and are offered mid-August through early September. This trip is only offered as a Book the Boat– not individual seats. Boat running time can be 15 minutes to an hour and a half to the fishing grounds, depending on where the best fishing is! During the bulk of our season, we only sell combination fishing charters for all species due to the high demand and the amazing produce of our local fishery!
We focus on harvesting the full daily limit for silver salmon and rockfish on these Seward fishing trips, and enjoy great success! Filleting of your fish and a private hanging station back at the landing for photos are included in your adventure. Enjoy world-class silver salmon fishing in Alaska using purpose-built, made-in-the-USA fishing rods from Thrasher Rods and all hand-tied gear in house.
Salmon start their annual return to their freshwater streams in mid-July and August but can be caught in outer coastal waters starting in late June. Silver salmon average 8 to 20 lbs and are a lot of fun to catch. They put up a great fight on medium to light tackle and are a thrill to reel in. The limits are six silvers inside the bay (an invisible line between Cape Resurrection and Cape Aialik) or three silvers outside the bay. You may have six salmon outside the bay, only three of which may be silvers (so you could have three silvers, two chum, and one pink for example). Or you can catch your three outside the bay, and come inside the bay to try to catch your additional three to fill the limit.
Depending upon the weather, tides, location, and time of year, we normally fish for salmon in water depths from a few feet offshore to 90 feet offshore. Usually “mooching” (drift fishing with bait or lures) provides the best results. Our Captains are avid salmon fishermen and have great knowledge and successful fishing techniques that they share with you. Their extensive knowledge of our area gives them an edge for finding the right combination of techniques and location to find salmon and get them to bite.
This Seward Silver Salmon Derby runs from the second Saturday in August and ends the following Sunday at noon. There are thousands of dollars to win in prizes daily; from the mystery fish to the largest and tagged fish. The entry fee is $10 a day or $50 for the entire Derby. See the rules for the Derby Here.
Please know that fuel is the largest expense we have as charter operators. Our prices reflect the price of fuel at the time of publishing. In previous years we have not added a fuel surcharge, however, due to the volatile and uncertain nature of fuel prices, Millers Landing reserves the right to add a fuel surcharge to the trip rates.
A fuel surcharge will only be applied in the event of soaring fuel prices based on the price of fuel at the time of your charter. Should the price of marine fuel remain under $4.50 per gallon there will be no additional charge.
This will ensure that we are able to take you to the best fishing grounds without regard for the cost of fuel or how far we must travel. By adding a fee schedule we can mitigate that concern, and provide you the ultimate fishing experience.
| PRICE OF FUEL | FUEL SURCHARGE |
|---|---|
| UNDER $4.50 PER GALLON | NO SURCHARGE |
| $4.51 – $5.00 PER GALLON | $10 PER PERSON PER DAY |
| $5.01 – $6.00 PER GALLON | $20 PER PERSON PER DAY |
| $6.01 – $7.00 PER GALLON | $30 PER PERSON PER DAY |
| $7.01 – $8.00 PER GALLON | $40 PER PERSON PER DAY |
Get ready for a day full of stunning views, good company and an authentic Alaskan fishing experience that will leave you with several great fishing stories. Departure is at 6 a.m. daily. Using our WiFi, you can purchase your Alaska fishing license here We have free parking. We even pick you up right from the shore in our specially designed boats! Our custom catamaran, the Fox Willie often drops off kayakers in the national park — Sometimes the fox returns closer to 6 pm instead of 5 pm — This does not cut into your fishing time, nor does it affect where we fish.
Below is more information about our itinerary, fishing regulations, and competitions.
We have two full-day charter platforms — Both are custom built landing craft and load directly off the beach either in front of Miller’s Landing or nearby at a public beach if the tide is excessively low (transportation is provided if this is the case). Both boats include a captain and deckhand, a marine toilet, full bottom fishing and salmon fishing gear, heated indoor seating, and all safety equipment.
The store facility opens at 5 a.m. each morning, and fishing licenses should be purchased well before the departure times listed below for each trip — they can be purchased online and printed out these days, which makes it a lot easier. The store sells them as well — plan ahead — check in early!
Free coffee is available at the store for your enjoyment, and there are small snacks, but lunch and drinks should be planned. (Please refrain when packing meals from bringing alcohol aboard the vessel, as the official policy of Miller’s Landing for the safety of everyone is that no alcohol be consumed while aboard).
The Fox Willie departs at 6 a.m. and returns by ~ 6 p.m. and provides a fishing charter platform for up to 10 for an all-day excursion, with the ability to carry six additional clients (friends and family of the crew or other passengers) in the capacity of a water taxi to the Fjords for guided kayaking among the glaciers.
The boat is comfortable and beamy at 40 × 13.5′ overall length. There’s room for everyone to sit inside during transit, and while the boat could be packed with 16 fishing passengers, the taxi portion allows us to let those extra people off, and open the whole boat up for 10. With over 30′ of rail space on each side of the boats full walk around the cabin, it allows a generous fishing space for 5 on each side to utilize.
The kayaking excursions are offered to those booking the charter at a discount – if those in your family are interested in going on a kayaking/sightseeing tour, we can take them on the same departure and return.
The boat will load everyone at the same time, depart at 6 a.m., drop off crew (when aboard) by 8 a.m., and will be within minutes of the fishing grounds and ready to start. The earlier departure time affords 1.5 hours of additional boat time at no extra charge. I.e.: When no such kayaking/taxi exists, the fishermen have the boat for the additional 1.5 hours to fish (if necessary) at no additional charge.
The early departure time is intended to be value-added to the fishing crew at all turns – whether it’s having the opportunity to see a glacier or having an extra hour to fish, or just being able to keep the family or group with different interests together on the same day trip. The vessel’s high tunnel catamaran design allows for fast travel through choppy weather, as well as high initial stability for those who dread seasickness.
The Thomasea departs at 6 a.m. and returns by ~ 5 – 6 p.m. and provides a fishing charter platform for up to six on an all-day excursion, with the ability to land on the beach as well for loading and unloading with its landing craft design. The vessel is 32×11′ length overall, and is very capable in seas. The full walk around the house provides plenty of deck space for the fishing crew, while its cabin is cozy and dry during transit times or to make a snack.
Fishing regulations change each year. For the most up-to-date information, please see the ADF&G website, at www.adfg.alaska.gov and the Southcentral Region, specifically linked HERE.
Buy your fishing and hunting license online at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/store/ – these can be printed out ahead of time, but must be on your person whenever you fish!
*2020 Fishing Regulations Online – Full Sport Fishing Regulations for State of Alaska
*2020 Fishing Regulations Online – Sport Fishing Regulations for Seward Area (North Gulf Coast)
The Seward Halibut Derby is discontinued until further notice.
The Seward Silver Salmon Derby runs the second Saturday of August every year and is not only Alaska’s oldest fishing derby, but it’s also the highest-dollar cash prize fishing derby in Alaska. You can buy tickets right at the store, and it’s a blast!
Make sure you have comfortable shoes and warm layers for fishing outside on the bow, good rain gear is also essential. The boat is heated inside with comfortable seating so don’t worry, there is always a space for you to crash. We also recommend lunch, snacks, and water.
Don’t forget medical necessities, and if you get seasick and are using Dramamine, take it an hour before departure.
Enjoy world-class fishing for all species using Thrasher and Seeker rods, Avet and Shimano reels, and hand-tied gear using top-end components! Read more about our equipment here!
We have 2 full-day charter platforms – Both are custom-built landing crafts and load directly off the beach either in front of Miller’s Landing or nearby at a public beach if the tide is shallow (transportation is provided if this is the case). Both boats include a captain and deckhand, a marine toilet, full-bottom fishing and salmon fishing gear, heated indoor seating, and all safety equipment.
Please note: Miller’s Landing encourages only guaranteed prepaid reservations. Unlike many other states, Alaska has a very short tourist season, which can make it difficult for us to rebook when we have cancellations without ample notice.
If you are booking a charter and lodging and your charter, water taxi, or kayaking is canceled due to weather, you are still responsible for the lodging or camping reservations and the normal cancellation policy applies. All of our activities are possible during rain, so rain does not constitute a cancellation. Miller’s Landing is not responsible for vehicle break downs, personal emergencies, flight delays, health issues or other unforeseen hardships. We will try very hard to work with you, but the cancellation policy will need to be applied if we cannot issue a raincheck or find an alternative solution that appeals to both parties.
Please understand that Miller’s Landing also incurs a hefty financial merchant fee from our bank for the cost of charging your credit card and again for the cost of refunding it, and there is also a cost involved for the time involved in the processing and refunding your reservation in employee costs. Our goal when taking your reservation is to have a solid, guaranteed prepaid reservation. We strongly discourage the practice of making reservations without having an airline ticket or making tentative reservations. Thank you for your understanding.
Silvers start their annual return to their freshwater streams in mid-July and August. They average 8-20 lbs and are a lot of fun to catch. They put up a good fight and it’s exciting to watch the fish rip around the boat and leap into the air during the fight! People of all ages are capable of catching Silvers, and kids do very well with these fish. Seward has one of the better Silver Salmon sport fisheries on the Kenai Peninsula, and charter operators actually come from other towns to fish here. Silvers are remarkably tasty, and we take extra care with our salmon, keeping them in coolers with ice and saltwater so they stay firm and fresh no matter what time of day they were caught. Miller’s Landing has its own ice maker, and we outfit the charters daily with a stock of ice for the catch. When the bite is on, it’s a complete frenzy. Everyone on the boat can fish at the same time!
Three fish per day outside of Resurrection Bay. Six fish per day, within Resurrection Bay. No annual limit.
These salmon do not reside in fresh water for any extended period, unlike coho, chinook and sockeye salmon. Their average length is 20 to 25 inches and their average weight is 3.5 to 5 pounds. We do not target pink salmon, but we do catch them while fishing for rockfish or silver salmon. They often get released when we are targeting silvers, it is most folks’ preference to keep silvers instead of pink salmon. They are great eating if cooked shortly after catching vs. freezing and eating later on. You can also catch pink salmon right in front of our main office, right on the beach, in the late summer.
Three fish per day outside of Resurrection Bay. Six fish per day, within Resurrection Bay. No annual limit.
Black Bass are both exciting and fun to catch. They are the most prolific of the pelagic Rockfish species and are found near shallow rocky areas. Fishermen are limited to a set number of pelagic and nonpelagic rockfish per day, and we make an effort to catch both to reach the limit. These fish average about 4 to 5 pounds but range up to 12 pounds. We often fish for them with light/medium-weight tackle. These fish are great fun for young and big kids alike as they hit fast and furious, are located all throughout the water column near rock structure, and can liven up a lull in the bite. They are excellent fried, baked, or blackened.
Three per day, per person, no size limit
Yellow Eye Rockfish are one of the tastiest fish we catch, and also one of the oldest. They are non-pelagic rockfish, which means they’re one of 32 different species in the same classification caught in Alaska. Other non-pelagic rockfish we catch are Copper, China, Silver gray, Tiger, et al. They are generally speaking all of the “colorful” species of rockfish. Red Snapper and their non-pelagic brethren live to be incredibly old – they grow about an inch per year, don’t start breeding until they’re 7, and the eggs have less than a 1% survival rate. They live where they are born, and as such are limited in most areas to 1 per person per day. They are incredibly good-eating, gorgeous fish which initially hit like a truck. Red Snapper can get up to 32 lbs, and we’ve had them swallow the whole salmon on halibut gear. They are generally caught while fishing for halibut and ling cod.
One per day, per person, we do not keep the little ones, but release them using deep sea release mechanism.
These are the largest Pacific salmon species which is why they have the word ‘king’ in their name. King salmon live around five years in the ocean, some have lived to eight, they can grow as long as 4.9 feet and up to 129 pounds. Their typical length and weight are 3 ft and 30 lbs. We don’t target kings but can definitely catch them. If you would like to try and harvest a king salmon the spring combo trip is the best time to try.
(2023 limits have not been released) In 2022, each person is allowed one a day, 28 inches or greater, with a limit of four salmon each year.
Join us for a half-day on the Avery H for some exciting Rockfish, and Salmon fishing! We target species as they are in-season at the time of your trip – salmon usually begin appearing after June 20. Be sure to grab a drink and a bite at our cafe before or after your trip!
Our combination halibut and salmon fishing charters from Seward, AK, target everything that is in season June 20 – September 8. September 5-8, 2024 will be available as Book the Boat only.
