Fishing Tour FAQ

To reach the island, you may take the ferry from the mainland or arrive via airplane and take the small airport ferry. For more information on these and to book your transport, Follow the links below:

Alaska Marine highway System (main ferry)

Ketchikan Airport Ferry

For multi-day excursions, your tour guide will meet you at your lodge the first night and give you directions to the boat dock and other instructions. All tours, day and multi-day, begin at the state dock next to the boat ramp, next to Knudson Cove Marina. For most tours we will meet you nearby and escort you to the boat to be sure you find your way. You should plan to arrive at least fifteen minutes early. For more information contact us.

For each excursion you will be focusing on a unique type of fish, but it is recommended to get an all-inclusive, general fishing license for the season that you will be fishing. Additional licenses are required for catching King, or Chinook salmon.  If you purchase a license please be sure to bring a copy with you. For more information, and to purchase your license, check this link.

For multi-day excursions, we at Santa’s Choice can clean, bag, and vacuum seal your fish for $3.00 per pound of fileted weight. This fish can be stored in the chest freezer provided in your rental lodge. For all guests flying up for multiple days, we recommend flying fish boxes home as luggage because it is the most cost effective.

For cruise ship passengers or single day tours, we recommend having your fish processed by either Cedars Lodge or Clover Pass Marina. Processing and freezing will cost approximately $2.50-$3.00 per pound of fileted fish, plus the cost of specialized fish shipping boxes. These processing options will also help you calculate shipping costs, which must be overnight shipping, and both Cedars Lodge and Clover pass will handle all shipping arrangements. 

If you would like fish heads, eggs, carcasses, or your fish steaked, all processing will be through Clover Pass Marina.

Fishing regulations vary year to year and area to area. The regulation zone our tours operate in is 2C. As of 2023, the fishing limit per person for Coho, Chum, Pink, and Sockeye Salmon, at 16 inches or longer, is 6 of each species per day, 12 of each species in possession.(Possession is not related to daily limit). King or Chinook salmon limit is 1 per day, with a rotating annual possession limit which may change during the season. Halibut limit for the year 2023 is currently at 40 inches or below, 1 per day, 4 in possession, and is changed yearly. New regulations are typically announced in February or March.

The above limits are subject to change throughout the season and from year-to-year. For updated regulations check out this link.