Kayak and Fish at Lake Clark National Park

Lake Clark National Park has officially made it to my Top 3 of all the national parks I've visited--35 and counting. I'm quite sure my summer home will be right here at this location, when I retire. It only took me 3 days of kayaking and fishing from these very shores to make that decision. I hope you fall in love with this place like I did.

You can start kayaking from the docks at Port Alsworth right beside both of the landing strips if you're staying in town. If you are planning to stay at the other remote locations along the coasts of the lake, make sure to rent some kayaks with the company that you're getting your boat or plane ride with to your designated location. Both transportation options have limitations for how much gear and kayaks they can have on their vessel depending on how many are in your group. The national park's website HERE gives you a list of options for companies. Take a look and decide what works best for your group.

Our group used THIS boat company to get to the Priest Rock Cabin that let us rent kayaks from them as well. If you want to check out staying at that cabin to have the perfect solitude for kayaking and fishing, read THIS article on how to get there.

Renting kayaks will vary in cost depending on which company you go with. They're generally around the same price if you're just using the company for transportation round trip somewhere. Our kayaks cost $65 per day for a single Sea Kayak and $100 for tandem per day. There are some companies and lodges you can stay with that will make it a guided trip with them. Those are bit more pricey. If you want to take a look at those, you can see some HERE and HERE.

If you decide to go on your own like we did, you'll need to make sure you get your fishing license before going. Refer to Alaska's Department of Fish and Game HERE to get your license from their online store. Also, take a look at their fishing regulations for personal use, as the national park mentions to read and follow them. The national park has additional rules on their website HERE. One of the big rules to follow and most important for your safety is to never allow scraps leftover from your catches to be left discarded on the shore, near humans, or sleeping areas. You will become a beautiful buffet covered in the delicious aroma of Eau Du Fish. Throw those scraps into fast moving water areas, clear from the shore. 

If you need some poles to rent, go ahead and rent those from a local store anywhere in town before you fly into Port Alsworth. You can rent poles and gear for fishing by the day. It won't break the bank either. There's local fishing stores everywhere; they're like Starbucks. You won't have a problem finding one. We didn't need waders to fish, as we fished mostly from our kayaks and the shores. We had nice weather, so the water wasn't too cold to get knee-deep in. 

Make sure to bring a sharp knife for cleaning and some seasonings to sprinkle on the fish. We brought some tortillas and makings for a fruit salsa to have grilled fish tacos. I'm drooling now just thinking about them.

Also take the time to explore the shores from the kayak, there are some deep creeks and rivers to explore off the main lake that are so serene and beautiful! The waters are so clear you can see the bottom!

Keep watch for Bald Eagles. They tend to fly above you often during the day, as you'll see in some of the pics.