River Fishing. Our rivers are the pathways and life blood of the Kenai. Six popular rivers and streams are less than two hours from here. At almost any time during the season, there is great fishing somewhere. As an avid angler, I know when, what you need and where to send you. I cater to our guests who visit the area to enjoy this bountiful resource and I’m glad to help outfit you or refer you to a guide.  You can use my cleaning table at the end of the day or take your catch to one our local processors to prepare your fish to take home with you.

A Cook Inlet Fishing Charter is what brings the highest number of summer visitors to Ninilchik. Deep water halibut fishing, trolling for king and silver salmon near shore, or changing gear to light tackle to take on big fish in shallow water are dreams that make annual visitors out of many first time guests. Our beach boat launch facility at Deep Creek and our small tidal harbor provide access to some of the most consistent good to great saltwater fishing anywhere in Alaska. I am proud of the network of local guides who I work with as a team to offer you a great time on the water.

Clamming Adventures. Razor clamming on the west coast of the lower peninsula was suspended in 2014 due to numerous factors which potentially contributed to a decimation of our clam populations. The health and growth of this shellfishery is being annually monitored with hopes that there will be a return to abundance sufficient to allow a harvest. Until that time, access to the opportunity to harvest Razor Clams is limited to an area on the west coast, across the Inlet. Many local charter boat guides offer trips during the optimum Minus Tides of the season. It is important to book these fun trips as far in advance as possible due to the limited number of optimum clamming days and limited capacity of the boats participating in this fishery.

Beach Tours. Searching for quiet time on a secluded beach, or that Kodak moment with a clan of Bald eagles? The shoreline access from Ninilchik and Deep Creek State Parks offers a dramatic panorama of the Alaska Peninsula, Mt. Augustine, Mt. Illiamna, and Mt. Redoubt Volcanoes. Cook Inlet beaches are created by some of the most extreme tide changes in the world, which constantly reveal new treasures buried in the sand below our towering bluffs. Any time of the day or night, our beaches call out to be explored. Take an invigorating walk, go beach combing, bird watching, observe the local fishing fleeting working near shore, or just watch a magnificent sunset from the comfort of a bonfire. With 4 wheel drive and a low tide, your host at Meander In just might invite you to run down the beach a ways, too.

Russian and Alaska Native history are a living narrative within the Ninilchik community. Many residents trace their ancestral heritage well beyond the remnants of the Russian fur trapper settlement of Ninilchik Village, on the beach below one of the most photographed Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska. Subsistence activities continue to be a critical part of the modern lifestyle and are embraced not only by people born here but by those who have chosen this peaceful settlement as their home today. Traditional activities reflect our dependence upon conservation of our great and abundant local natural resources.

Commercial Fishing is the livelihood of many local residents and during the sockeye season, their activities provide a unique opportunity for visitors to observe the Drift Fleet at port in Ninilchik Harbor or coming and going on the high tide. A drive or walk up the beach north of the Harbor takes you to the set net sites and operations of many long time Alaskan fishing families. The first set net site is an educational site operated by local Natives which enables many people to learn a traditional way to fish and harvest a treasured resource, our salmon.

Touring Homer and the End of the Road. An hour away on Kachemak Bay, Homer is a bustling merchant community of shops, art galleries, eateries and bars, a wonderful museum and the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center, as well as home of the largest boat harbor and community of fishermen on Cook Inlet. It might be the end of the road, but it is a gateway to a whole other world of exciting venues that are reachable from here, everything from alternate fishing opportunities to whale watching and flight seeing, and breathtaking scenery.