Jason’s Guide Service provides professionally guided fishing trips that’ll have you reeling in trophy-sized Rainbow Trout and a variety of Salmon in no time. Your guide, Jason Lesmeister, has over 20 years experience providing guided adventures along the Kenai River in Alaska, and prides himself on providing fully-customized trips that are perfectly suited to fit his customers’ needs.

Jason lives where he guides, and spends over 200 days a year on the water, both professionally and for fun. His goal is to provide eco-friendly fishing trips that will provide a lifetime of memories, and protect these rivers and lakes so that they can be enjoyed by future anglers. Jason practices catch and release on all native Rainbow Trout, while Dolly Varden and varieties of Salmon can be caught for both sport and table fare.

You’ll head out onto Kenai River in a 20’ Willie drift boat. Drift boating is perfect for anglers who want a hands-on experience, as it allows you to fish from the boat as well as “beaching up” and wading these productive waters for your catch. It also allows for a peaceful, environmentally-friendly adventure. Jason can accommodate up to 4 guests on each trip, and his drift boat is equipped with all of the necessary navigational and safety gear for a productive day on the water.

Jason prides himself on not only being a year-round guide, but also living and fishing in his guiding area. This means that he is able to keep his finger on the pulse when it comes to the species that travel through this river! He knows the best times to visit for your dream catch. Want to reel in huge Rainbow Trout? Visit during Autumn. If you’re after Sockeye Salmon, join Jason in July. You’ll also have the chance to hook Chinook and Coho Salmon, and plenty more.

You’ll be provided with top-quality G-Loomis, Shimano, and Lamson rods and reels, as well as tackle. All you need to bring is a fishing license. Join Jason’s Guide Service and get ready to reel in your dream catch!



Select date to see available trips and rates:

  • Private trip
    Half Day Trip – Salmon
    FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
    US $800
    Join your guides Jason or Caleb on a 4-hour trip down the Upper Kenai River. You fish Sockeye and Coho Salmon. The prime dates for half day Sockeye trips start July 15 and go until August 20. The prime dates for Coho are August 20 through October 26. All trips are run out of custom-built drift boats designed for efficiency and comfort. The Sockeye trips are done from shore and occasionally from a boat. The Silver Salmon trips are done primarily from the boat with some occasional shore fishing.
  • Private trip
    Half Day Trip – Trout
    FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
    4 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $800
    Join guides Jason or Caleb on a Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden catch and release fishing trip. We fish Rainbow and Dolly from June 11 to October 26. The prime time for this fishery is August 17 - October 26. We have good fishing all season long. The success in the earlier months depends on water stability with temperatures and flows. Our average fish on the upper river is between 16"-20", we catch fish as big as 30" or bigger. We fish both fly and spin gear and use hand-tied flies and conventional gear.
  • Private trip
    Full Day Trip – Trout
    FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
    US $1,100
    Join Jason or Caleb on a full day fishing trip for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden Char. We fish both the Upper and Middle Kenai River June 11 - October 26. Our prime time for the trophy hunters is August 20 - October 26, we have good fishing all season long. Our average Upper River Trout is 16"-20" and the average Middle River fish is 18"-22". We fish both fly and spin gear using hand-tied flies, hand-painted beads, and conventional gear. We fish out of custom-built drift boats.
  • Private trip
    Full Day Trip – Salmon
    FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
    8 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
    US $1,100
    Spend a full day on the Kenai River with Guides Jason or Caleb. We fish Sockeye Salmon and Silver Salmon. We have two runs of Sockeye Salmon. The first run is good from June 11 to July 4, the second run is July 15 - August 20. The silver prime time Salmon starts August 20 - October 26. We fish out of custom-built drift boats built for comfort and efficiency. We fillet all your Salmon and direct you to the best processor for packaging and shipping. These dates are just guidelines for you.
There are 10 people looking at this charter.

FAQs about Jason’s Guide Service

Jason’s Guide Service offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $800 per group, additional US $100 per person after 3 guests - Half Day Trip – Salmon (4 hours)
  • US $800 per group, additional US $100 per person after 3 guests - Half Day Trip – Trout (4 hours)
  • US $1,100 per group, additional US $200 per person after 3 guests - Full Day Trip – Trout (8 hours)
  • US $1,100 per group, additional US $200 per person after 3 guests - Full Day Trip – Salmon (8 hours)

When you book a trip with Jason’s Guide Service, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Ice Box

Trips booked with Jason’s Guide Service include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Fly Fishing Equipment (Gloomis, Lamson, Shimano,)

Jason’s Guide Service offers the following types of fishing:
  • River Fishing
  • Lake Fishing
  • Backcountry Fishing

Jason’s Guide Service offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Jigging
  • Fly Fishing
  • Ice Fishing

Top targeted fish species with Jason’s Guide Service include:
  • Dolly Varden
  • Lake Trout
  • Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
  • Salmon (Coho)
  • Salmon (Sockeye)

Meet the Charter Operator

Jason's Guide Service
Cooper Landing, Alaska, United States
1 Fishing Report
61 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since March 2016
I grew up in Minnesota, at the age of 20 I came to Alaska to be a guide. 24 years later I'm a Registered Guide/Outfitter and am still a Passionate Angler. I try and fish no less than 200 days a year.

About this listing

Targeted species

Dolly Varden Dolly Varden
Lake Trout Lake Trout
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead) Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Salmon (Coho) Coho Salmon

Boat specs

Willie (Aluminum fishing) originally built in 2019. Powered by a 10HP Drift engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 5 knots.

Length
19 ft
Capacity
4 persons

Types of fishing

River Fishing
Lake Fishing
Backcountry Fishing

Fishing techniques

Light Tackle
Jigging
Fly Fishing
Ice Fishing

Amenities

GPS
Fishfinder
Ice Box

Trip includes

Rods, reels & tackle
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
Fly Fishing Equipment
Gloomis, Lamson, Shimano,

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 30 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 30 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.

Listing policies

Pickup not included
Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.
Child Friendly
You Keep Catch
Sockeye and Silver
Catch and Release Allowed
Catch and Release Mandatory
For Trout and Char only

Payment

Book with 20% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 20% deposit to guarantee your reservation.

The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:

Cash
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Checks
Bank Transfer

Cooper Landing Fishing Calendar

Loading Fish Calendar!
Please Wait...

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.9 / 5
out of 5 stars from 59 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.7 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (59)
Full day trip on the Kenai River
Full day trip on the Kenai River
Full day trip on the Kenai River
+56
Angler rating
48
4
2
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
88%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
88%
Appropriate for children
92%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
88%
Sort by:
Featured  
Showing:
5 of 61 reviews
Dane H.
St. Petersburg, FL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Caleb Crushed it!

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip – Trout on July 31, 2023
I told Jason we wanted to catch fish and he did not disappoint. He paired us up with Caleb who put us on so many sockeye we...
Dane H. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Mark review as helpful
1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful
Dane H. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Mark review as helpful
1 person finds this review helpful
You and 1 other person found this review helpful

Clint M. S.
Hurlock, MD
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full day trip on the Kenai River

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip – Salmon on August 19, 2023
Jason is not only a great guide loaded with experience and knowledge but also a great guy. Thought us many styles and caught...
Clint M. S. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Jason's Guide Service Charter Operator replied

Stephanie S.
Granby, CO
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full Day With Caleb

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip – Trout on August 17, 2023
GREAT EXPERIENCE!  Top notch equipment, Caleb was an excellent attentive guide.  Caught lots of fish and completely met our...
Stephanie S. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Jason's Guide Service Charter Operator replied

Kennedy L.
Good Hope, AL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full day with Jason

VERIFIED   Full Day Trip – Salmon on August 6, 2023
We had a blast! With the very diverse group we had it was such a good time! I had no clue how to fly fish and the other 2 had...
Kennedy L. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Jason's Guide Service Charter Operator replied

Pamela S.
Tuscola, IL
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Trip with Jason's guide service

VERIFIED   Half Day Trip – Salmon on July 12, 2023
This is a top notch guide service.  If you are serious about fishing you need to book these guys .  They will put...
Pamela S. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Mark review as helpful
You found this review helpful
  Jason's Guide Service Charter Operator replied