Fishing and Boating

Many Ketchikan [1] companies offer charter fishing trips in search of salmon or halibut; see the visitors bureau [2] for a complete listing.

Rent skiffs and fishing gear to head out on your own from Knudsen Cove Marina (13 miles north of town, 907/247-8500 or 800/528-2486, www.knudsoncovemarina.com [3]). If you’re just looking to try your luck with all the locals who fish from the Creek Street [2] bridge, rent a pole from the little stand that’s a block away, across from the Federal Building.

Mountain Point, 5.5 miles south of Ketchikan, is a good spot to try your luck at salmon fishing from the shore.

Alaska Tours Undersea (907/247-8889 or 877/461-8687, www.alaskaunderseatours.com [4]) is a rather bizarre semisubmersible vessel with big windows that extend six feet below the waterline. Ninety-minute tours are $52 adults, $32 children when cruise ships are in port, or $35 adults, $20 children when they aren’t. (Jeez, I wonder if cruise ship passengers pay more because some giant corporation gets a substantial booking fee?)