Cold Bay, Alaska

Cold Bay sits at the base of the Alaska Peninsula roughly 600 miles southwest of Anchorage, adjacent to Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and its lagoon system, one of the most productive eelgrass beds in the world. Small streams north and south of Cold Bay produce coho salmon fishing that local operators describe as among the best on the Peninsula, with Pacific halibut and Dolly Varden rounding out the saltwater and inshore options. Access is exclusively by air — Alaska Airlines serves Cold Bay with regular jet service — and most anglers combine fishing with the area's exceptional waterfowl hunting in fall.