Mark Glassmaker

After flying clients into remote corners of Cook Inlet for over three decades, I’ve learned that the best fishing isn’t always found where the crowds go. Bachatna Creek proves this point better than almost any other fly-in destination I know. This small creek on the west side of Cook Inlet doesn’t make anyone’s list of …

The west side of Cook Inlet hosts some of Alaska’s most productive silver salmon habitat, and the West Foreland region stands out as the heart of this fishery. After flying guests here for over three decades, I’ve learned that understanding this landscape—how it functions, why the rivers behave as they do—makes the difference between good …

When you fly into Crescent Lake for a day of fishing, you’re landing in one of Alaska’s most spectacular protected wilderness areas. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve encompasses over 4 million acres of pristine backcountry, and the Crescent Lake drainage sits in one of its most dramatic corners—beneath the towering presence of Mount Redoubt. …

After several years of falling short of minimum escapement objectives, the 2025 late run of Kenai River king salmon narrowly met the recovery threshold of 14,250 large kings (greater than 34 inches). By the final day of counting, the cumulative sonar estimate stood at 15,015 fish. This benchmark was established under the Kenai River Late …

The 2025 silver salmon run on the Kenai River has been noticeably stronger than in 2024. Last year, anglers faced bait closures and reduced limits, but this season brought a robust return that provided excellent fishing opportunities. Key highlights: Bait opened Aug. 16, right as fishing pressure shifted from sockeye to silvers, with fresh coho …