Alaska is home to many fishing destination resorts. The scenery and quality of fishing makes it inevitable. In Southeast Alaska, one well-regarded outpost is the Waterfall Resort.
In 2012, Waterfall Resort was recognized a Fodor’s Choice property signifying the remarkable experiences offered by the lodge.
In a press release announcing the selection, Manager Steve Cockrell says, “This recognition from Fodor’s is another milestone in Waterfall Resort’s legendary history. What started as a record breaking seafood cannery founded in 1912 has since become a legendary sport fishing lodge that has hosted over fifty thousand guests. We’re honored our long-standing dedication to expert service has earned such high regard.”
Waterfall Resort is a premier fly-in fishing lodge located on Prince of Wales Island. The fishing lodge was developed from of the remains of the historic Waterfall Salmon Cannery dating from 1912. Access to the resort is by floatplane from nearby Ketchikan, Alaska. Alaska Airlines provides jet aircraft service to Ketchikan, with its primary connecting hub located in Seattle, Washington
Prince of Wales Island is located at the southern end of the Alaska panhandle region on the Tongass National Forest. British Columbia, Canada is only a few miles to the east. This island is second only to Kodiak Island as being the largest in the state. It measures some 135 miles long and 35 miles wide, with an area encompassing 2,231 square miles.
The land surrounding Waterfall Resort is pristine wilderness; a temperate rainforest covered with towering Sitka spruce and yellow cedar. Average rainfall is 100 inches per year and there are literally hundreds of crystal clear salmon spawning streams on the island. This unspoiled landscape accounts for some the most dynamic salmon runs in the state. Silver (Coho) and King (Chinook) salmon fishing is simply incredible.
Waterfall provides luxury accommodations, excellent dining, and an amazing scenic backdrop, but people come for the fishing. The resort operates an up to date fleet of fully enclosed Almar sport fishing boats and conducts its own fishing tournament each year, the King of Kings Salmon Tournament. This season long tournament provides guests with the chance to win $100,000 in various merchandise prizes for the largest King and Silver salmon caught for the price of a $75 ticket. Awards are given in different weekly, monthly and season long categories. The tournament’s grand prize is a Ford F-150 truck. Full fish processing, vacuum packaging, and flash freezing is part of the vacation package at Waterfall.