Ray is a POS (period). Rude and unprofessional and his other charter guests were also embarrassed…read morewith his unprofessional demeanor. In fact the few chum we pulled out of the river had more personality than Ray. His website also claims numerous awards over the years - fact check it, as it just isn't true. Save yourself the embarrassment and go somewhere else!

Not trying to ruin this business, but I would be doing a disservice to other customers if I wasn't…read morehonest with my experience with Fisherman's choice. We got completely skunked (zero fish) during peak season; first warning sign should have been when they had availability (unbooked) for the entire week I inquired about, and they were also the cheapest. You get what you pay for, this is an inferior guide. Second red flag I should have noticed was when he took us fishing in a river that absolutely nobody else was fishing in; now keep in mind that this isn't some small secret hidden lake nobody else knows about, it's a huge river that nobody else chooses to fish in. And we learned that too late, for good reason. The lake is dead. Completely dead. Lake may have been good back in 1987 when he may have started fishing in Alaska, but now, the lake is completely dead. Guide probably keeps fishing this dead lake because he lives close by and is the only lake he can access, rather than more productive lakes like Kenai. Don't come fishing here with this charter. He blamed Chinese people for illegally fishing his waters, and said that we weren't catching anything because we were right in between the King and Silver runs. Bullshit, saw folks catching so many silvers yesterday at Ship's Creek. Just a bad guide taking none-the-wiser customers' money and fishing a dead lake. Their website goes on and on about how customers need to tip, even if the guide doesn't put you on any fish, that it's not the guides fault. Well, it sure as hell ain't the customer's fault, either. The customer is already paying upfront the fees, why should the customer pay for getting skunked too? Business owner chose to go in to business that has uncertainty, the business should eat the costs (tips) when the conditions aren't ideal, not expecting the customer to pay for that too. Yet his website goes on and on about tipping 20% to 50%, even if they don't get you any fish. What kind of participation trophy did these guys grow up depending on? Plus, they complain about their "good reviews" being intentionally hidden by Yelp. I find that hard to believe, the more likely explanation for their "good reviews" "hidden by Yelp" may be due to them writing fake good reviews about themselves, and Yelp recognizing the fake reviews and thus hiding them, appropriately. Plus, this guide hadn't caught a fish in over three weeks, just duping and collecting fees and tips from unsuspecting out of town visitors. Not like he made the trip enjoyable, he had the personality of a wet log, he ignores your questions, and plays with his phone while you try for fish. Absolutely do not recommend, this is a inferior, cheap, not booked up charter that fishes a dead lake that every other fisherman was smart enough to abandon.

I just bought a boat and needed some gear to head out halibut fishing. These guys are the nicest,…read moremost knowledgeable people I've ever met when it comes to fishing. They're going to be my go to when it comes to fishing gear and I'll make sure everyone I know stops in there as well. I can't recommend them enough!

As longtime fly anglers, Trout Unlimited members and seasoned Alaska anglers, we were very…read moreimpressed by Mike and his shop. Very knowledgeable about current conservation issues. Had to buy some line and nippers and his prices were reasonable. He didn't try to "upset" you. I would highly recommend stopping here. He seemed willing to give info and chat even if you didn't buy something (but give him the business!). My new line worked on this silver on the Alagnak!

the charter was extremely kind and understanding when showing us how to fish and the food and beds…read morewere amazing

We had a wonderful adventure with Deshka Landing Charters and Lodge, July 2023…read more Jim and Maria are the best hosts and treat you like family. Maria's cooking is fabulous! Every meal was so delicious. The guides are great, know where to go for silvers and were especially patient with me while I learned to fish for salmon. The lodging cabins were clean and the beds were very comfortable. The main cabin felt like home away from home. We were also able to find time, when not fishing, to see the beautiful sites in Alaska recommended by Jim and Maria. They have a wealth of knowledge about Alaska. We brought home plenty of salmon to enjoy throughout the year.

I'm with Joy G, this place is like a liquor store for Baptists: a place everyone goes, but no one…read moretalks about going to! I had only heard about it when my brother was visiting. He's a avid fisherman and did extensive research, and stumbled upon this area. Now that I've finally visited, I recognize it as the place where a lot of drone videos posted on social media are shot. There's a well-maintained parking lot with no fee. From here, you can go right to the water and fish. There's also a very short, but very well-maintained hiking trail. (maybe ¼ of a mile) The highlight here for me is the small bridge. It's right at the start of the hiking trail, over a milky-turquoise canal, and Pioneer Peak almost perfectly frames the scene in the background. It's an easy-to-take show that will blow away all your non-Alaska friends. If you're a tourist: this place is a must-visit. If you're a fisherperson: this place is a must-visit. If you're an avid hiker: this place is a must-visit...once. It's probably a good place to look for the Northern lights though! Decent sky views and you can stay close to your (warm) car!

Wanted to visit this area after reading great reviews from Elite Yelpers. I call the road you need…read moreto take to get there the "Palmer back road." Growing up religious we had these yearly summer camp meetings and that road is the only road I know to use to get there. Funny, I never noticed the sign for this place before, which is pretty large and obvious. Any way, it was my birthday and I wanted to get some fresh air with my family. We get there about 10am on a Monday morning. I was surprised to see a lot of fishermen in spots all around. I think they were just as surprised to see us. We started off strolling my youngest then found it easier to put her in a carrier. This place is breathtaking. The water is so calming and so tranquil. Love the bridge and as other yelpers mentioned, it is super close to the parking lot. Luckily it was sunny and we enjoyed the short hike through the wooded area. We were definitely the only people there not fishing. Greatful to have found this place.

Good place overall to go kayak around a smaller lake. The lake is close to the highway so you can…read morehear all of the highway noise so its not as peaceful.

We stopped by here on our way to Denali, it is was a random stop but turned out to be absolutely…read morebeautiful. We were here on Thursday afternoon and there was no one here. We had the lake to ourselves. The area around the lake was clean, there are plenty of picnic tables, bbq pit and kids play area around as well. They also have a boat launch area on the other side. Tip: Come here during week day to enjoy the quaint lake, 'cause when we stopped by on our way back on Saturday, the place was fully packed.

Ice Fishing was my favorite part of our trip…read more We did a lot of fun things on our trip to Alaska and ice fishing was by far my favorite. My husband may disagree but that's only because I caught more fish than him... Dustin is the shop owner and an all-around cool guy. He had a great set up for us before we even got to the location - a heated shelter, cameras so we could see below the ice, and rods all ready to go. We enjoyed chatting with him about his experiences fishing all over the world (he won't brag...but he's kind of famous). We're always looking to support Veteran-owned businesses and we're glad to have found The Bait Shack! Don't worry, all of the big char went back into the water to swim another day. But man was it fun! It was so exhilarating to watch these fish come up from the ice. Dustin also made sure they were handled gently and watched for any signs of distress from the fish as we were sending them home. We're fully committed to a summer trip so we can fish out a few Kings with Dustin and his crew. If you're looking for a fishing adventure near Anchorage, call The Bait Shack!

What a great first ice fishing experience! Dustin put us on plenty of fish and we caught fish all…read moreday. Dustin made everything super easy and made sure we had everything we needed for our first experience. We did the DIY package, and we were catching fish within a few minutes of fishing. Would definitely come back again- highly recommended and a great genuine guy.

Nancy Lake State park is HUGE. If someone has a negative experience, it's likely due to their…read morefailure to explore. In addition to two campgrounds cabins, there are countless lakes, ponds, streams and creeks, trails, parking lots and toilets. There's even canoe rentals. In winter theres some limited trail grooming as well. Fishing is popular in some of the lakes- see the state website for deets. Berry picking is excellent you're willing to explore as well. Bears are a real concern here so be prepared, we've seen them. Amazing bird watching as well. My only negative comment is the smaller campground by Nancy Lake proper is garbage- it needs a total overhaul. Head toward the campground by Rollly Lake deep in forest for the goods- you won't be disappointed.

This area is a perfect close to home getaway location. Lots of winter exploring to be had, and I'm…read moresure even more fun in the summer time with additional water activities. If the ratings are good definitely a nice spot to view the aurora. We rented a dry cabin for an overnight trip, and we're upset we didn't book for 2 nights. We were in cabin #4 as a party of 4 adults, 1 toddler & a lab with plenty of space. This cabin could easily accommodate 6 adults comfortable, but there was bunk space for 8. There are quite a few state owned dry cabins in this area. A few of them are even newer constructions, and very nice. We thought we were going to have to snowshoe into the cabin, but to our surprise the trails were groomed for cross country skiing so it was a very easy walk to cabin #4. The only downside of renting this cabin is this area is pretty busy with skiers and snowmobilers (snowmachiners) accessing the lake. We took a few mile walk around the lake. We considered ice fishing, but didn't due to lack of daylight. We saw a few people out fishing, but Nancy lake isn't exactly known to be a fishing location. We had a very nice time staying at the dry cabins, and I think they're a really fun activity to get out in the winter time!

Repeat customer and I can't say enough good things about these guys! We had the best time on our…read moreJuly 4th fishing trip with Clay! Everything was well-organized and welcoming. We've had a Clay as our guide a few times before, and he's always fantastic--knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely fun to be around. He made sure we were in the right spots, gave great tips, and kept the energy up all day long, even at 4am. The owners, Lori and Travis, clearly care about their business and their guests. You can tell they've put a lot of heart into making sure every trip is a great experience. The boat was clean, well-equipped, and comfortable, and we came back with not only a great haul of fish but also memories we'll talk about for a long time. If you're thinking about booking a fishing trip, we absolutely recommend Fish Em. Clay, Lori, and Travis make a great team, and we can't wait to go out with them again!

We were visiting Alaska and wanted to get some ice fishing exposure. We went out for the 2 hour…read morefamily experience and I couldn't believe my 6 year old kept focused and enjoyed it. Jake did. Fantastic job putting us on the fish. We all caught fish totaling a couple dozen. If you're looking for a friendly knowledgeable Alaskan book a trip with them.

It was an amazing! The leader John was a very good person! Hard working very knowledgeable! I…read moreenjoyed the fishing and food was very good!

It was my first time here. It's on horseshoe lake and has many cabins with multiple beds in the…read morearea. It's a decidedly religious camp run by the Church of the Nazarene. I came for a retreat and it was a nice time. Food was made by camp hands and there was even a camp cat named Heidi. There were paddleboats and canoes available. A friend of mine rented the cabins and space and had her wedding here. It's a very beautiful area and only an hour and a half from town.