Alaska 2026: Kethikan

 

Ketchikan is known for being the Salmon capital of the world. Going fishing on this particular visit to Ketchikan wasn't going to work out as our cruise ship docked at 1:30 pm, too late to jump on most fishing charters there. We opted instead for some site seeing via tour bus. Cruise ship passengers can join small 10-15 passenger tours around the area where you can see totem poles and hear about the stories each totem pole represents.

The tour bus we took would have been a bit more exciting if the salmon were in the rivers. The water temperature wasn't quite right though so the fish ladder at Creek Street was without fish as was the rivers around town. The tour bus takes you to places where you can even watch bears fishing and eating salmon, except the bears aren't there if the salmon are still out in the open water. Our tour guise took us to a waterfall and did his best to be funny in between stops.

The tour operators are in huts right outside the cruise ships making it easy to find something to do if one hasn't already planned a shore excursion. I think an important question to ask when visiting one of these huts is, "Are the salmon in the rivers yet?". You can only hope for an honest answer, but the truth is, they know. We arrived at 1:30 and the bus I was on was headed out for the 3rd time that day. 

If you find yourself docked in Ketchikan with no plans and nothing to do, I would suggest a short walk to Creek Street where there is plenty of activity near the salmon ladder. A bit longer walk would take you to an Alaskan lumber jack show where there are several performances each day (you can purchase tickets there). 

If you have the time however, remember this is the Salmon Capital of the World. Back in September 2023, my friend Juan and I had the fishing time of our life right there in Ketchikan, Alaska!