Alaska Fishing, Beaches in Seward
Fishing the beaches in and around Seward Alaska.
Where to go fishing in Seward Alaska. Handy guide to fish the beaches around Seward so you don't go home without a harvest of Dolly Varden, flounder or salmon.
Alaska Fishing, Beaches in Seward
Alaska offers many fishing opportunities, but without a seaworthy boat, the choices are significantly diminished. However, during the spring, summer and fall, the beaches in and around Seward on the Kenai Peninsula can provide an excellent opportunity to catch a variety of species from the shore.
Lowell Creek is the most popular spot and it is located on the south end of Seward. All of the fisheries around Seward and Resurrection Bay are considered terminal fisheries. This means that the runs are perpetuated by hatcheries and the goal is maximum harvest. Thus, snagging is allowed when fishing from the beach; however it is not legal to fish in freshwater. Lowell Creek has a run of king salmon and also a run of silver salmon. These runs occur from late June through the end of July, and perhaps even into August.
The fish migrate very close to shore at Lowell Creek and the fishing can get very crowded when the fish are running. Caution must be used when approaching the fishing area and eye protection is strongly recommended. Most people cast weighted treble hook from shore to snag fish. Others may use a large spinner like a Vibrax or large Mepps. Some use Kastmasters or other heavily weighted lures. Most of the salmon are hooked within 30 feet from shore. Don’t be surprised to find a large hook flying in your direction when the hook slips out of a large fin snagged salmon. Most people use 30 pound test line to haul in the fish as quickly as possible. It is possible, however, to catch fish in the mouth using bait (salmon roe) or a spinner. Bait fishing is likely to produce species like flounder, Dolly Varden and silver salmon. Fishing the beach is always best about 2 hours before and after high tide.
Approximately 5 miles by road east of Seward is Spring Creek. This is primarily a camping location, but fishing the beach can be very productive for a variety of species. Spring Creek is much less crowded than Lowell Creek and is a better place to take children. Flounder, chum, silver, pink and sockeye salmon as well as Dolly Varden are frequently caught from the beach near the mouth of Spring Creek at high tide. Chum salmon, plentiful during June and July, are the largest species caught here with many specimens weighing over 15 pounds. Silver salmon can be expected to average about 10 to 12 pounds and sockeye around 6 to 8 pounds. The Dolly Varden will typically average in size from 1 to 3 pounds and the flounder about 1 to 2 pounds each. On rare occasion, a king salmon may appear in the mix as well.
There are several other public access points to the beaches around Spring Creek that provide access to the mouth of the Resurrection River. From July through August, the mouth of this river has a substantial run of sockeye salmon stocked by a private commercial hatchery far upstream. However, the public is allowed access to the saltwater to catch these returning fish. Once the fish enter fresh water, they are off limits to the public. Be sure to check the regulations when fishing this area and it’s a good idea to carry a detailed map showing the roads and access points.
Fishing the beach in Seward can be a lot of fun, weather permitting, and a good way to guarantee that you won’t go home from the Kenai Peninsula without some fish. Make sure you bring an ice chest to retain the fish before processing.
