Sitka Fishing Excursions is the best all around charter in Sitka, built on the newest fleet in the port and a hands on owner. Local owner Nicki runs three custom North River Offshore boats, the 2019 Blackjack, the 2023 DoubleDown, and the 2025 Dealer, the two newer ones fitted with Seakeeper gyro stabilizers that flatten the roll in a Gulf of Alaska swell, under USCG licensed captains who are year round Sitka residents. Reviewers single out the end to end service, from Nicki’s travel planning through the connection to a fish processor, and the comfortable, well equipped boats. For a modern, well run day on the water it is the pick of the port.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.4 Sitka Fishing Excursions tops the Sitka ranking and is the editor’s pick. It earns the place on the best boats in the port, an unusually strong service operation, transparent per person pricing, and good, if not yet deep, sentiment. It suits almost anyone, a family wanting a stable modern boat, a cruise passenger with a few hours in port, or a group booking a full private day. The honest caveats are the price, which sits at the top of the per person market at $625, and the track record: the business was established in 2018, so it has a shorter history than the port’s 30 year names. Its closest rival is Sea Roamer Charters, which edges it on a longer record and a more loyal repeat following but runs a single boat that books out. See the full Sitka ranking for the field.
The boats
The fleet is the standout. The three North River Offshore boats are the newest charter platforms in Sitka, and two of them, the 31 foot DoubleDown and the 32 foot Dealer, carry Seakeeper gyro stabilizers, which is a genuine comfort edge on the open Pacific coast where the swell builds. The 29 foot Blackjack rounds out the fleet. Each is a walk around with an enclosed heated cabin, a head, and twin 300 horsepower outboards, fishing up to 6 anglers, and the boats are clean, fast, and well kept. On the boat and equipment factor this is the strongest operation in the port, and the stabilized hulls are the reason a rough day is more bearable here than on most Sitka boats.
The fishing and what you target
Sitka Fishing Excursions fishes the full Sitka card, salmon first. King salmon is the signature, fished hardest from mid May into July under the 2026 nonresident rule of one a day at 28 inches or greater, and silver salmon build through the summer at six a day. Pacific halibut runs all season under the more restrictive Area 2C charter rules: one a day in 2026, and it must be 34 inches or under or 80 inches or over, with retention closed on Thursdays from June 18 to September 10. Lingcod and rockfish fill out a bottom day, with lingcod on a spring and fall slot and yelloweye open only July 1 to August 25. The captains fish both the salmon and the bottom, and the modern boats reach the grounds quickly.
Trips and prices
Pricing is posted per person with a 4 person minimum. A full day of up to 10 hours is $625 per person, private or shared, and a shorter cruise ship trip is $595 per person, with a 10% discount for a group of two on the private cruise trip. A 2026 fuel surcharge kicks in when the Sitka fuel dock price passes set thresholds, from 6% at $5 a gallon up to 10% at $8, which the site spells out. Rain gear, gear, drinks, and lunch are included; the Alaska license, the king and halibut stamps, fish processing, and gratuity are on you, and the crew delivers your catch to a processor. The per person rate is at the top of the Sitka market, the price you pay for the newest stabilized boats, which our cost guide sets against the rest of the port.
The crew
The service is the other half of the case. Owner Nicki handles booking and travel planning hands on, and reviewers repeatedly credit the operation for making the whole trip easy, from picking the right boat and date to connecting them with a processor and shipping. The captains, Parker, AJ, and Jackson among them, are USCG licensed year round locals, and the recurring themes are patience, flexibility, and persistence in finding fish on both the salmon and the bottom. The honest qualifier is the depth of the record rather than its quality: the independent review volume is still modest, around 16 on Yelp plus a positive TripAdvisor page, since the business is newer, so there is less of a long track record than the port’s veterans carry. What is there is consistent and strong.
Booking and what to know
Sitka Fishing Excursions books through its own site, departing from 330 Harbor Drive or, for cruise passengers, the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal. Book the summer dates well ahead, decide between a full day and a shorter cruise trip, and budget for the license, the king and halibut stamps, processing, and a possible fuel surcharge on top of the per person rate. Bring warm waterproof layers, since even summer runs cold and wet on the outer coast, plus a hat, sunscreen, and motion sickness medicine. Rain gear and gear are provided, and the crew delivers your catch to a processor to vacuum seal, freeze, and ship home. Confirm the day before in case the weather forces a call.
How we scored it
Sitka Fishing Excursions earns its 8.4 on the newest, best equipped fleet in the port, with Seakeeper stabilizers, an excellent hands on service operation, and transparent per person pricing. Boat and equipment and service are its strongest factors. It is held just out of the top band by a higher per person price and a shorter track record than the port’s 30 year operations, since the business dates to 2018. See how we scored this boat and the rest of the Sitka charters we rank.