Like many of the small island villages in the Kodiak Archipelago, Port Lions has excellent recreation opportunities for wildlife viewing, birding, fishing and more. The community of 200 residents is located in Settlers Cove at the north end of Kodiak Island and also happens to be a port-of-call for the Alaska Marine Highway, allowing for easy access to the island.
Port Lions was created after the tsunami from the Good Friday Earthquake destroyed the village of Afognak on Afognak Island to the north. Lions Club International assisted greatly in building the new community and relocating Afognak residents who eventually named their village in honor of the service group.
Within town, a causeway provides foot and bike access across Settler’s Cove while charter boat services offer access into the nearby coves and bays for wildlife viewing. Throughout the summer, the waters around Port Lions are an excellent place to spot whales, including humpbacks, fin and orcas as well as sea otters, sea lions and seals. At the right time of year, birders can easily spot hundreds of puffins, eagles and kittiwakes in the area.
Most visitors arrive at Port Lions to cast a line into the bountiful waters that surround it. The sheltered bays between Kodiak, Afognak, and Raspberry islands are home to some of the richest fisheries in Alaska. In May and June, trophy kings can be caught in the bays and in August, silvers begin to appear. Halibut, some topping 300 pounds, can be hooked almost anytime from May through September while fishing excursions in July often result in a mixed bag of kings, silvers and halibut. Nearby streams and rivers are also very productive with sockeye salmon in June, pink salmon and Dolly Varden in July and silver salmon in August.