- Fish & Sightseeing
- Half Day
This is a custom Seward charter focusing on sightseeing with just a little fun fishing included.
Quick Details
Sightseeing areas include the Kenai Fjords National Park, and we go to the Chiswell Islands, famous for the many species of nesting seabirds, and the Aialik/Holgate or Northwestern Fjord Glacier areas of the majestic park. It is normal to see humpback whales, orca whales, harbor seals, stellar sea lion, Dall’s porpoise, and all manner of sea birds including puffin, cormorant, auklet, and muir.
Our boats are personal and purpose-built for these waters, and our captains are all professional fishermen with years of local experience touring the area. With departures at 6 a.m. daily, let us be your guide on a great sightseeing cruise in the Kenai Fjords National Park!
Fishing: We target halibut, ling cod (in season), black bass, and silver salmon (in season). Our goal is for each person to catch his or her limit of halibut or salmon, though these Seward fishing trips specifically take time to focus on wildlife viewing.
You’ll appreciate the personalized attention when your captain stops for photo opportunities and answers your questions about wildlife as we encounter whales, sea lions, bird rookeries, glaciers, and other marine wildlife. Please remember that the fishing time will be cut down considerably on these types of charters due to the traveling time for sightseeing. As a result, you should not expect to limit out in fish on the fishing and sightseeing combination charters… But what could be better than making a great day out of doing a little of both?
Pacific halibut are the most desired and largest fish of Alaska’s sport fisheries. They are plentiful in our waters throughout our fishing season, May through September. Sport-caught halibut usually range from 20 to 50 lbs., although larger fish are not uncommon. Generally, we fish between 100 and 450 feet, with an average of about 300 feet. It takes about an hour and a half to two hours to get to the best fishing grounds. We normally drift over our fishing areas and then pull up, move back over them and drift again. Although we do drop anchor sometimes, we don’t believe in anchoring and sitting on one spot all day.
Ling cod season opens July 1st. The minimum legal size is 35 inches. These fish can grow to over 80 lbs. The limit is one fish per day per person. Lings can be caught at almost any depth, but we catch most of them at 15 to 150 feet. Many people prefer the moist, succulent, white meat of ling cod to halibut.
Black sea bass is both easy and fun to catch. They are the most prolific of the rockfish species and are found near shallow rocky areas. Fishermen are limited to four black bass per day. These fish average about 4 to 5 lbs but range up to 12 lbs. We normally fish for them with medium weight spinning or baitcasting gear, using hoochies and herring or shrimp lures. These fish are great fun for young and big kids alike as they hit fast and furious. Sea bass (black bass) are delicious to eat.
Red snapper (yellow-eye rockfish) is one of the tastiest fish we have, and the limit is one per day. They are generally caught while fishing for halibut and ling cod. As you can see, there is a good variety of fish to catch during a halibut charter, and all are delicious to eat.
Silver 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. The state record is 26 lbs. They put up a great fight on medium to light tackle and are exciting and fun to catch.
Depending upon the weather, tides, location, and time of year, we normally fish for salmon in water depths from a few feet near shore to 90 feet of water offshore. Usually “mooching” (drift fishing with bait) will provide the best results. Salmon are aggressive when feeding and provide some fast action. Our Captains are avid salmon fishermen with great knowledge and successful fishing techniques that they will share with you. Their years of local knowledge of our area give them an edge on finding the right combination of techniques and location for finding salmon and getting them to bite.
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.
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 has been 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 use the Thomasea for groups of 6 or less, and the Fox Willie for groups over 6 people. Read about them here: Our Vessel Fleet | Miller’s Landing in Seward Alaska (millerslandingak.com)
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 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.
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.
Pacific Halibut is the most desired and largest fish of Alaska’s sport fisheries. They are plentiful in our waters throughout the season and can be caught May-September. Sport-caught Halibut usually range from 20-50 lbs, although larger fish are not uncommon. People frequently ask about the size of the halibut we catch, but that question is impossible to answer from day to day. We commonly catch fish over 100 lbs, but we commonly catch average-sized Halibut as well. It’s up to you to listen to your guide, attend your line, and do your best to maximize your catch! We’ve caught 156lb Halibut on Salmon rods while fishing for Rockfish, with a tiny little hook and skimpy piece of herring. We’ve also caught 300lb Halibut on whole Salmon carcases threaded with circle hooks at 400′. Nobody can forecast a day of fishing, but we work as hard as we can to make it a success.
Halibut cannot be fished on Wednesdays, and there are usually block days on Tuesdays (these have not been disclosed for 2023).
Ling season opens July 1st, and they aren’t actually Cod at all! Lings are members of the Greenling family, and in some cases their flesh is naturally tinted green or blue, turning white when cooked. They eat a great deal of chlorophyll, lending the fish its unusual tint. These fish can grow to over 80 lbs. They look like prehistoric sea monsters and are apex predators, often shunning bait and going instead for an actively worked jig. Lings can be caught at almost any depth, but we catch most of them at 30-275 feet. Many people prefer the moist, succulent, white meat of Ling Cod to Halibut. Lings are often caught pre-season but must be released prior to July 1st.
One per person, after July 1st only, minimum legal size is 35 inches, but we won’t keep them unless they’re over 36 inches.
While Pacific Cod are not the target species around here, they are great eating and fun to catch. There is never a guarantee of when we catch them. Some days we are “covered up with cod” while halibut fishing and it’s as fast as you get to the bottom. These fish live up to 20 years and grow up to 6 ft in length. Pacific Cod migrate as far as 490 miles in a year from the Gulf of Alaska to the west coast of Norway. Cod is quite healthy like most fish and is great cooked in butter on a hot skillet.
No limit as of now for the 2023 season.
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.
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.
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.
This is a custom Seward charter focusing on sightseeing with just a little fun fishing included.
See the BEST Alaska has to offer all in one day! This trip has everything your family or group needs – Kayak by glaciers on a tour to the Kenai Fjords National Park, fish for salmon and rockfish, and sightsee all in a small group setting!
Our combination halibut and salmon fishing charters from Seward, AK, target everything that is in season June 20 – September 5.