With popular boating and paddling tours located all over the state of Alaska, your on-water activity options are limitless. A few of the best boating lakes include Kenai Lake, Big Lake, and Stormy Lake.
Looking for new places to enjoy your boat? To help you plan your boating adventure in Alaska, we thought we’d name just a few of our favorite places for boating in Alaska. Check out the list below!
Big Lake
Residents of Big Lake, a town with a population of over 3,000, often commute to work in Anchorage, some 60 miles south. They choose to live in Big Lake due to the amazing recreation opportunities. It offers views of Mount Susitna, Denali, and the Talkeetna Mountains.
The area offers an excellent opportunity to view dog sledding in the winter. However, the summertime outdoor activities are not to be missed.
The area centers around the 67-mile shoreline lake. The lake is great for swimming, camping, boating, and fishing, as well as a plethora of other watersports. It brings people together to enjoy its waters.
The Big Lake North State Recreation Site is also located on the lake, 13 miles west of Wasilla. It has tent sites, picnic areas, shelters, and parking with a fantastic view of Denali.
Boating and fishing are very popular on the lake during the summer months. It is known as Alaska’s year-round playground, which has large weekend and seasonal populations.
Fish Creek Park is nearby and offers a salmon spawning observation desk. Big Lake South State Recreation Site offers campsites and a boat launch. The Rocky Lake State Recreation Site offers camping on a lake.
Stormy Lake
Stormy Lake is another notable lake located on the Kenai Peninsula. It’s located within the Captain Cook State Recreation Area.
The lake’s name comes from the whitecaps produced on the lake due to higher winds. The prevailing winds can sometimes produce whitecaps on the lake, giving it its name.
It is also known as Three Bay Lake because it consists of three nearly separate areas connected by channels. Access to the lake is via the Kenai Spur Highway, about 27 miles (43 km) north of Kenai. Facilities include a boat launch, overlook, picnic area, wading/swimming area, and a small, boat-in-only campground.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise State Recreational Area is in the Copper Valley near Glennallen. It is a hotspot for Alaskans all year round. Outdoor activities include camping, fishing, boating, bird watching, hiking, biking, berry picking, snow machining, skiing, skating, hunting, and Northern Lights viewing.
Lake Louise offers excellent year-round fishing and sports four fish species: lake trout, whitefish, burbot, and arctic grayling. It also offers a variety of wildlife and birds, including cormorants. “Bird Island” ‘is a place for birders to find various nesting sites.
The lake is also home to swans, loons, and other waterfowl. Wildlife viewing opportunities include moose, wolf, bear, fox, sheep, and lynx. There is also the annual migration of the Nelchina caribou herd each October through November.
The Lake Louise State Recreation Area has a large campground, boat launch, and picnic areas. A trail leads to the hilltop where the original recreation cabins still stand. In the fall, the Nelchina caribou herd passes through this area.
Kenai Lake
Kenai Lake is a large zig-zagging lake on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska and is the gateway to the Kenai River. It is a hot destination spot for fishing and other activities. These include camping, bird watching, hiking, biking, boating, and various watersports.
It is accessible from Sterling and Seward highways. Many people stop off to take pictures of the beautiful scenery of the lake. The lake was formed from glacier water and has a picturesque blue/green tone.
Alaska’s State Parks
Alaska’s State Parks offer outdoor enthusiasts 3.3 million acres of rugged, untouched terrain. Perfect for trailblazers, hikers, paddlers, and boaters, the Alaska State Park System provides endless recreational opportunities year-round.
You can take an organized boat tour in Glacier Bay National Park. Go kayaking in Kenai Fjords National Park. You can head to Denali National Park to hike up Horseshoe Lake Trail and check out Alaska’s tallest mountaintop!
Or strike out on your own to check out the boating opportunities Alaska’s State Parks have to offer.
Fishing in Alaska
Alaska has more than 627 fish species inhabiting the state’s 3 million lakes, 3,000 rivers, and countless streams. You’ll find world-class fly-fishing, freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, and ice fishing — right at your fingertips.
Depending on your style, you can charter a boat or plane to whisk you off to a remote fishing hole. Or you can just hike and go fishing in one of the pristine lakes you’ll likely stumble across. Catch everything from wild Alaskan Salmon and Halibut to Red Snapper, Yelloweye, and Black Sea Bass!
Learn How to Boat Safely Before Boating in Alaska
We hope you’re excited to book some trips to some of these lakes and parks for outdoor and boating fun!
Before you go, make sure you’ve taken the Alaska boater education course to learn about boating safety (and to get your boating license). BOATsmart! makes it easy to do these things by providing online courses that are fun and engaging — making it easy to learn and retain the information for the exam and for your adventures on the water.
Originally published in November 2018. Content most recently reviewed and updated for accuracy and relevancy October 4, 2024.
