Waterfall Resort Alaska — Hotel in Ketchikan

This fishing lodge has everything dialed in perfectly. The timing, the amenities, the food. It was wonderful with one exception – the most important detail – our boat Captain, Jeff! He made us very uncomfortable and after arriving home, this seems to be the most memorable part. We were isolated with this guy for 5 days and it made a terrible overall experience.

When asking questions, it was a crap shoot if we were met with a helpful answer, a combative response, or no response at all.

We threw back a half dozen flounders because Jeff said we didn’t want to keep those. Reflecting on this statement I realized some high-end restaurants I’ve eaten at had flounder. I looked up recipes online and there were plenty. On the day of departure, our lunch mates were telling us their captain (Rick) said flounder was amazing, citing a recipe of butter, lemon, capers. That left us missing out on an opportunity to try something new and fill our fish boxes.

On the third day there was a misunderstanding. Jeff had taken us out to catch king salmon (outside of prime king season). You are allowed one per year and my husband had already caught one the day before. This meant catching only two fish that day! Jeff said it was, “King or bust”. We told him a king would be great, but our goal was catching and quantity. It was not a big deal because we still had 6 hours of great fishing left… except Jeff became obsessed that we should have gone south for fishing not north (which didn’t make sense because we did fish north on 2 of our other 5 days and got plenty of fish). Jeff went into shut-down mode and gave us the silent treatment. He mentioned three times we should go back to the resort and hit the bar. With only an hour left he asked one last time if we should go back. I was feeling defeated and disappointed and said I didn’t care anymore, but the guys probably wanted to keep fishing. His response was, “OK, I will wear them out.” Which meant fishing 400’ deep with a very heavy jig that wore us out and… didn’t produce fish. This was a passive aggressive punishment on us. The final straw was arriving back at the dock where every. single. boat. was FULL of fish. Me – ZERO. Not one single fish in 11 hours. NONE. I fished every single second, I’m an avid fisherman, and every other day on the trip I came in with plenty of fish.

I spoke with the general manger, Scott. He said this has never happened before, he would talk with our captain and the owners and let me know what they could do to help. I was at the resort for 2 more days and never heard from him.

Instead of just pivoting and laughing off a crappy day, the next day Jeff gave us the silent treatment for 11 hours. It was incredibly uncomfortable, unpleasant, and not worth $3000 a day.

My husband waited until after the trip was over to share that he caught Jeff talking about us to other guides on the dock. Another time, he was hand signaling communication with another guide a “0” and pointing and winking, which further validated my concern that “wearing us out” meant purposely skunking our fishing day.

On the fifth day, we spoke with the assistant manager, Megan. She was very nice. (Jeff popped by 4 times to presumably eavesdrop.) Megan said she would talk to the general manager. Our friend asked for a follow up.

Neither manager got back to us! I’m surprised as well-run as the resort is, that both managers would not have followed up as promised.

Spending 75% of our waking day with a negative experience left us with less than satisfactory memories. And, our half full freezer is a reminder of what we...

If you are an avid fisherman, like I am, you won’t want to skip this destination of a lifetime.

We flew to Ketchikan and spent the afternoon and next morning perusing the local eateries and bars in this half tourist, half long time local town full of fantastic food, cold beer, and some real interesting characters.

The next morning we took a float plane, courtesy of Taquan Air, out to Prince of Wales Island and landed in the ocean before our final destination of Waterfall Resort. This place was amazing! It was, I think, an old cannery, on the edge of the Tongass National Forest that has been converted into the resort you stay at today.

While on land there are plenty of things to do, as you would expect from a resort of sorts. We had a good time dining, drinking, whale watching, seeing bears up close in the wild and, of course, walking the trail to the waterfall.

As far as fishing, wow! This place has really got it together. State of the art boats, equipment and staff. You will not be disappointed. We caught salmon, king salmon, halibut, rockeye, rockfish, and ling cod all the while battling the elements and those damn sea lions! When we were done doing that we would just do it again and again. I never thought that we would catch as much as we did. There were 8 of us and we came home with about 100lbs of cleaned and packaged filets a piece. We were only there theee days!

Is it expensive? Yes. Will your wife enjoy it? Absolutely. Kids? Without a doubt. Just to get on a boat and travel out offshore makes the trip worth it alone. Whales, eagles, killer whales, sea lions, and otters in abundance, not to mention that you are in one of the most remote, beautiful places on the planet makes it a trip of a lifetime for anybody not just a fisherman.

I will return for sure. Keep it remote and quiet as it is now please! This place is far too amazing to change it to anything other than...

If you're looking for an unforgettable Alaskan fishing adventure, look no further than Waterfall Resort. My trip there in June 2024 was nothing short of incredible. From the moment I arrived, I was blown away by the beauty of the location. The scenery was breathtaking, and the feeling of being surrounded by untouched wilderness was truly special.

The accommodations at Waterfall Resort were excellent. My room was clean, comfortable, and offered stunning views. It was the perfect place to relax and unwind after a long day on the water. But the true stars of the show were the staff. Everyone I encountered, from the lodge managers to the wait staff and fishing guides, were incredibly friendly, helpful, and professional. They made me feel welcome and went above and beyond to ensure I had a fantastic time.

Speaking of fantastic, the food at Waterfall Resort was outstanding. Every meal was delicious and fresh, featuring local ingredients and a wide variety of options. I never left the table hungry, and the all-you-can-eat format was perfect for fueling up for long days of fishing.

Now, let's get to the real reason most people visit Waterfall Resort: the fishing! And let me tell you, it did not disappoint. The fishing here was absolutely second to none. The guides were experts at putting me on the fish, and I reeled in more salmon, halibut, and ling cod than I ever thought possible. The feeling of battling a powerful fish against the backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness was an experience I'll never forget.

Overall, my trip to Waterfall Resort in June 2024 was an absolute dream. The combination of excellent accommodations, exceptional service, delicious food, and world-class fishing made it an unforgettable adventure. I can't wait to go...