13 Great Spots To Walk In And Wet A Line

Photo by Robert Levy, Flickr.

Summer solstice has came and went and August is the time of the season to wet lines and soak up the warmest weather of the year. While some might think that the best fishing spots on the river and the salt require a boat and plenty of money for gas, we are here to prove that misconception all wrong. These walk-in fishing spots are easily accessible, they offer spectacular scenery and best of all – all they require is for you to show up with a rod in hand. Low maintenance and easy on the wallet, for those of you that love catching deliciously wild Alaska seafood – it doesn’t get much better than these hot spots and best kept secrets on The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground.

Flickr – Maria Fletcher-Stark

1 – Homer Lagoon

Flickr – Isaac Wedin

2 – Bings Landing on the Kenai River

Flickr – Travis

3 – Russian River Confluence in Cooper Landing

Flickr – Ian Collins

4 – Soldotna Creek Park on the Kenai River

Facebook – Soldotna Creek Park

5 – Anchor River in Anchor Point

Photo Credit – Pixabay

6 – Seward Beach

Flickr – madeleine deaton

7 – Centennial Campground in Soldotna

Facebook – Centennial Campground

8 – Crooked Creek at the Kasilof River Confluence

Facebook – Crooked Creek Guide Service, Cabins and RV Community

9 – Mouth of the Kenai River at Kenai Beach

Flickr – Kim F

10 –  Mouth of the Kasilof River at Kasilof Beach

Photo Credit – Joseph Robertia, Redoubt Reporter

11 – Resurrection Creek in Hope

Flickr – Philip Morton

12 – Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing

Photo Credit – Courtney Stanley

13 – Deep Creek and the Ninilchik River

Photo Credit – YouTube

While these spots are all phenomenal in their own ways, keep in mind there are tons more great spots to walk-in and wet a line all throughout The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground. But we figured that this will give you a good introduction for now. For the fly fishers in the crowd THIS article is a great read and documents some great spots to walk-in and wet a line. If you’d like any more tips for great spots or need help finding any of the above that we’ve listed, feel free to give us a call or shoot us an email and we will help in anyway that we can!

Everyone Must Visit Kasilof Mercantile & Rocky’s Café

As you head south from Soldotna towards Kasilof (in the direction of Homer), you will come across Rocky’s Café and the Kasilof Mercentile on the left hand side of the Sterling Hwy, right before you hit the bridge that goes over the Kasilof River.

The sign says café and espresso but there is SO much more at this great Alaskan place than just those two things. Upon pulling into the parking lot, we loved checking out all the cool displays that screamed “you are in a fishing town in Alaska.” First up was this huge salmon hung up with cool mile arrows telling you how far it is to more “civilized” areas. Paris, France is 4883 miles away – holy smokes! We certainly are remote up here on The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground (and we love it that way).

We also LOVED this swinging bench with old license plates from all around the United States. Perfect for a family photo op after enjoying a good meal inside. Apologies for the slightly blurry outside photos. When you arrive at 8:30pm on an empty stomach, it’s hard to keep your hands totally steady when your stomach is growling at you. 😉

What stuck out to us was the attention to detail that this establishment truly put so some much care and emphasis on. As you read on you will see what we mean. Every direction you turn is beautifully decorated in the most Alaskan way possible. And it starts with these beautiful carved bears that great you upon entering.

The first thing you see when coming in is a stocked up gift shop. For locals and visitors alike – there is something for everyone. Cool tee’s, hoodies, mugs, artwork, treats and so much more.

As we walked to our table, we loved how clean and cozy the restaurant was. We also loved all the natural light that was coming in through the many windows. The exposed beams with hanging fans were also a very exquisite touch.

We couldn’t help but to feast our eyes on all the beautiful stained glass. The wood and metal fish mounts were really cool as well.

The Alaska themed artwork was also so beautiful to just stare at in amazement. Beautiful photos of epic wildlife found on The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground.

Then there is this epic paining of the mountains and inlet with float planes and fishing boats. Phenomenal! So very cool and so very fitting.

The huge fireplace located right across from our table made us dream of returning during the snowy winter months. This would be the perfect spot to warm up next to the fire while enjoying a hearty meal.

We were also very impressed by the layout. There is a great amount of seating area (although were sure it gets packed during the summertime), a lengthy bar area and also lots of outdoor picnic tables. For such a small town, this is a rare find!

At Rocky’s Café they serve a mix of hearty American style cuisine options including burgers, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, wild Alaska seafood, omelets, pancakes and other fabulous breakfast, lunch and dinner options. We stuck to some traditional favorites. Up first was a delicious Rueben on toasted wheat bread with fries on the side.

And a Kasilof Club on sourdough bread with perfectly cooked tater tots. This is a favorite menu option for many who visit!

On the way out we were pleasantly greeted by the dessert display. Our diets might not have loved us for partaking in this sweetness, but we couldn’t resist homemade cakes.

And then there is the ice cream cooler… 😉 Need we say more? We decided that it should be considered illegal to leave Rocky’s Café without getting ice cream on the way out. Far too many fabulous flavors to pass up.

From great food, ice cream, amazing desserts, a warm fire place, a cozy log cabin atmosphere, incredible paintings/artwork/stained glass windows, a gift shop and truly warm hospitality – it’s next to impossible to be disappointed when visiting this great Alaskan spot.

Springtime KEEN-EYE Candy

Lowell Point Beach in Seward, Alaska. Photo from Kristie Stockton.

March Madness on The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground means something a whole lot more beautiful than what you’d find on the basketball court. As winter faded away and officially turned to spring and we moved our clocks forward an hour, we made sure to capture the magical moments that happened in our very own backyard.

Photo from Alyeska Resort.

Feast your eyes on some gorgeous eye candy that was captured throughout the month of March that will have you falling in love with the Kenai Peninsula all over again.

Photo from Elsie I-Hsin Lin at Exit Glacier in Seward, Alaska. ‎

We’ll kick things off with this beautiful sunrise in Soldotna, Alaska with  Mt. Redoubt glowing in the distance.

No day in Alaska (where the state sport is dog mushing) is complete without a snowy dog walk in the woods. Although, this guy might be a little too small to compete with the real mushing dogs. 😉

Skilak Lake in Cooper Landing, Alaska is beautiful this time of year. And due to some pretty comfortable temperatures, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the lake has already broken up completely. Great for anyone wanting to get out for a day on the water enjoying some Rainbow Trout fishing.

Cunningham Park in Kenai, Alaska is a beautiful place to take a walk and soak in the warm sunshine and beautiful blue skies.

As we headed out for a day of exploring on the Kenai River, we couldn’t help but to stop and take a photo of the stunning spring view from Bings Landing in Sterling, Alaska. Check out those beautiful mountain beaks in the distance! Such a gorgeous contrast against the strikingly beautiful blue water of the Kenai River.

A hike in the woods that leads to a lush overlook of thick forest and Tustemena Lake in the distance… always a win!

A sunset is no ordinary sunset when you take it in from Captain Cook State Recreation Area in Nikiski, Alaska. It’s like a whole bag of skittles in the sky! 😉

Sometimes “easy like Sunday morning” means taking a peaceful walk into the woods with a warm cup of coffee. Always a joyous journey on a beautiful spring day.

Taking in an icy sunrise with a beautiful horse pasture in the distance is quite simply, what dreams are made of.

Because winter wonderland just feels like home (said every Alaskan, ever). ❤

Swiftwater Park in Soldotna, Alaska offers breathtaking views all year long. Bonus fact: in the winter, you can usually have the whole place to yourself. EPIC.

When the drive to work makes you pull over and have a photo-shoot, you know you live in the BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD. But um, we aren’t biased at all. 😉

And when a sunset gives you goose-bumps and makes your heart dance with so much pure joy, you also know that you live in THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD. Like this one taken at the beginning of the month on Kasilof Beach.

A day spent taking in the mountain views from the beach in Ninilchik, Alaska is always a good day. Especially when the sun is shining bright!

In addition to the beautiful beach, endless ocean and epic mountain peaks, the up close and personal Bald Eagle viewing is also a sight to behold when visiting Ninilchik.

And here’s the shot a little closer up. This Bald Eagle sure is a beauty! And by the looks of where it’s sitting, it looks like quite the dare devil. 😉 Or maybe just a smart fisherman!

The Kasilof River is such a special place to visit. During the wintertime when the snow still lines the banks, it’s like viewing something right out of a postcard. Simply incredible.

And move down a few miles to the mouth of the Kasilof River draining into the Pacific Ocean, this is a spectacular place to enjoy some soft sand and take in (yet another) epic sunset on The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground.

Watching both the mountains and the sun reflect onto the beautiful water via drift boat in the middle of Skilak Lake is always an enthralling experience.

And it’s only fitting that after spending over 12 hours on the glistening Skilak Lake that we stay long enough to catch a sunset, Alaska’s Playground style.

The launch to Tustemena Lake (or to float the Kasilof River) is a fabulous place to listen to wolves howl and to watch moose roam. It’s also a great place to have a campfire, go for a hike and enjoy being away from the crowds.

A sunset down Cannery Beach Road in Kenai is quite simply – what dreams are made of. ❤

Fishing the Kenai River near the Russian River confluence is way more fun without the crowds and with beautiful snow-capped mountains.

The Kenai River in Cooper Landing is STUNNING.

There is no place like Homer. These views could suck you in for days.

It was a magical night with calm, cool weather to watch boats in the bay as they got ready for the 2016 Winter King Tournament on 3.19.16.

And a sunset over Wasabi’s restaurant was sure to leave a lasting mark.

Swanson River Landing was beginning a serious breakup during late March. Soon enough we will be launching our kayaks for an epic float!

Fish Lake is a beautiful place fully submerge yourself in nature and not hear a single sound other than birds chirping and the occasional wolf howling.

Remember, you have 365 changes to catch a sunrise and a sunset in each year. Get out there and make every day count. This beautiful sunrise was captured at Arc Lake in Soldotna, Alaska on March 9th.

And on that note… We wish you love, safety and happiness with each and every day. Fall head over heels in love with The Kenai, Alaska’s Playground and never regret a second of this beautiful life!

Disclosure: With the exception of the first 3 photos featured above, all photos featured in this blog are copyright of Loomis Sage Marketing.

Kenai Fishing Academy

The Kenai Fishing Academy is all inclusive (instruction, lodging, guided trips) and guarantees the KFA graduates will be better anglers!
Visit the Kenai Peninsula and join the other 11 anglers in your class spending 20 hours in the classroom learning fishing secrets from local Alaskan experts. Learn about: Fishing characteristics Lure selection Casting techniques Fly patterns and tying Dealing with Alaska’s wildlife Processing your catch
Then join Alaskan guides and instructors on the water every afternoon and evening to practice what you learn at some of the top fishing spots in Alaska including: Kenai River and/or Kasilof River Cook Inlet Remote fly-in
Two one-week courses offered in 2012 June 17-22 Bait Casting July 29-Aug. 3 Fly Fishing
Contact
Dave Atcherson, KFA Coordinator and Author of “Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula” 1.907.262.0346
Reservations
1.907.262.0330Toll free: 1.877.262.0330
Website
http://www.kenaifishingacademy.org/
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