Fishing is one of Seward’s most popular activities, and in midsummer dozens of boats dot the waters while hundreds of anglers cast from the shore. Salmon are the main attraction, made all the more enticing by a summer-long fishing derby. Your odds of catching one increase if you can get away from the shore, and many charter boats are available.

Halibut fishing is another favorite, but you’ll need to get quite far out—sometimes all the way to Montague Island in Prince William Sound—to catch one.

Get a complete list of charter operators from the Visitors Information Center, or contact a booking agency. Oldest and largest (it represents 30 or so boats) is The Fish House (907/224-3674 or 800/257-7760, www.thefishhouse.net), across from the harbormaster’s office.

Also try Charter Options (907/224-2026 or 800/224-2026, www.charteroption.com). If you aren’t fishing, drop by the harbor in the late afternoon when charter operators hang today’s catch up for photos. It’s quite a sight.

Miller’s Landing (907/224-5739 or 866/541-5739, www.millerslandingak.com) rents 16-foot skiffs for do-it-yourselfers.