Tower Rock Lodge — Lodging in Kenai

ALL reviews about Tower Rock Lodge

• Alyssa

  Added 2016.07.19

  This past spring (last week of May) my father/brother/two family friends and myself got our first try at Alaskan fishing and Tower Rock Lodge really helped make it a good experience. Their choice of locations/setting was exactly what we were hoping for: in the woods, along the river, ‘cabin’ feel accommodations while still having all the conveniences you could ask for (hot water, warm beds, good food, internet, easy access to town/civilization, etc). All of the staff did a great job of making us feel at home and part of the family. The fishing guides were knowledgeable, helpful, laid back and attentive to making sure we got the experience we were looking for. On the fishing front one of the things I really appreciated was there was no ‘fixed schedule’ each night we would get asked how things went, what we liked, what we wanted to do, and told all the details on how things had been going in the various spots and fishing styles to make an informed decision about what would be the best plan for the next day. Another great thing about this lodge was the food! Every night was a unique, well prepared and satisfying meal. Each morning was a logically laid out (going on the rough sea? Probably not a great idea to eat bacon and eggs so here’s is pancakes and cereal…..cold morning on the river ahead of you? Here’s some hot biscuits and gravy to get you warmed up) choice of items to either sit down with or take with you. Picnic lunches were also packed with plenty of snacks to munch on throughout the day and brought along by the guides for our convenience. One day we even had a hot fish lunch cooked on the rocky bank of the river during our float down stream, couldn’t be more ‘iconic.’ Few ‘pro’ tips I picked up along the way if you’re heading up to Tower Rock: 1) bring twice as many warm socks as you think you need, the boats are metal (for reasons you will figure out) and therefore the deck is generally the same icy temperature as the water and rubber waders, while water proof, don’t provide much warmth. 2) Spend your nights around the camp fire, nothing says camping/fishing more then drinking and stories around a fire in the ‘dark’ 3) Spend the money for a peak season trip (we went on the early side of the season and while enjoyable the colder than normal temperatures meant many of the salmon hadn’t started swimming up river, nothing that is the lodges fault, just something to be aware of) Our first trip and what an amazing Alaska experience! Thank you Tuhys. We stayed in the lodge which is beautiful, but the best part of Tower Rock was the staff. Mark and Mike are gracious hosts that keep you entertained and comfortable. The guides are awesome and worked hard to get us the best fishing, which was world class. The food was excellent, the excursions were excellent, the weather somehow was excellent, and the 200 lbs of fish we brought back and are eating is excellent! We can't wait to get back. See you guys soon. I haven't visited Tower Rock Lodge, so I can't say anything about the accommodations or the experience there other than this. I've had business dealings with the owner, Mike, and he is a rock solid person. I grew up in Alaska fishing the Kenai (and the tribs), so I don't have a need for a guide, but I've told all of my friends and business acquaintances who are looking for a productive, exhilarating, and relaxing fishing trip to patronize Tower Rock. Mike is a first class person, and I would be amazed if he didn't ensure first class service at Tower Rock. Great place and one I'll definitely return to soon! The staff, service, facilities and fishing were all top notch and well priced. Having never been to AK before, I spent a lot of time...and I mean A LOT of time...looking for the perfect destination for my dad and I to have our "Once in a lifetime father & son fishing trip". We've been talking about this trip for several years, so our expectations for a good time and great fishing were extremely high. Not only were these expectations met, but they were blown out of the water by Mike, Mark, and the entire TRL staff. This place absolutely ROCKS. THE LODGE: The accomodations are top notch. We stayed in the Main Lodge during our entire week-long stay. Ordinarily, the Main Lodge sleeps 8 in three seperate bedrooms. We actually had the entire building to ourselves during the majority of the trip, but it would've been completely fine had the building been fully booked. Plenty of room, private bathrooms, totally clean and comfortable accomodations. A perfect combination of 'rustic, up north' and 'modern & clean'. The housekeeping staff did a wonderful job keeping everything more than tidy. THE FOOD: Mike, Noonie, Guy (sp?), and staff absolutely blew us away with the food. Breakfasts included, Eggs Benny, French Toast, Hash (AWESOME).....all were incredible. Lunch included homemade seafood chowder, moose chili, hot sandwiches, box lunches for fly-outs and deep-sea trips, and an incredible shore lunch of halibut, salmon and veggies prepared streamside by the Guides. Epic. Dinners included porkloin and noodles, Prime Rib, and incredible authentic Thai dinner of chicken curry & spring rolls, beef tenderloin, and a seafood dinner of king crab, halibut and salmon. We could eat all we wanted, drink all the wine we could handle, and enjoy a cigar by the campfire afterwards. To top things off, the desserts absolutely rocked! THE FISHING Our trip included fly-rod fishing for Rainbow & Dolly Vardon, deep sea fishing for Halibut, Rockfish & Lingcod, and stream fishing for Silvers and Pinks. Our guides "D-Money, Mark and Burner" did everything they could to keep us on the fish....all did a great job. My dad and I are pretty experienced fisherman, but I can see these guys being great with everyone from absolute beginners to experts. All were very experienced about the Kenai and kept things light-hearted and fun. We left with plenty of halibut and salmon, both smoked and fresh. THE VAULE Having looked at scores of lodges/outfitters, TRL is an aboslute slam-dunk when it comes to value. You can pay a hell-of-alot more at other lodges...and I'm sure they're fine, but the accomodations, fishing, and food at TRL can't be topped. Dollar for dollar, it's a no-brainer. I'm already planning my return trip! THE VIBE Mike & Mark...wow. Two laid back, west-coast guys that totally 'get it'. They've figured out how to combine top notch fishing, incredible accomodations and food, along with a relaxed, fun vibe that makes it more than just a fishing trip. We spent plenty of time just hanging out, joking around, and talking about fishing, Portland (Multnomah Village for Life!), and old-school Professional Wrestling.....yes, wrestling. Tons of laughs, cocktails, and good times! The rest of the staff was very nice, professional and accomodating. Rooms and the grounds were always clean and well kept, and totally safe and secure. Well done guys!