Jason’s Guide Service 

4.9/5 (78 reviews)
 Mile Marker 48 Sterling Highway, Cooper Landing, AK 99572, United States

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!

Jason's Guide Service

Charter Operator

Jason's Guide Service

 responds within an hour

Most popular features:

 You Keep Catch
 Catch cleaning & filleting
 Child Friendly
 Ice Box
 Rods, reels & tackle

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Days:
Group Size:
Almost there...
Half Day Trip – Salmon
FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
4 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
US $900 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Half Day Trip – Trout
FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
4 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
US $900 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Full Day Trip – Salmon
FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
8 Hour Trip, starts at 5:00 AM
US $1,200 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Full Day Trip – Trout
FREE Cancellation 30 days notice
8 Hour Trip, starts at 7:00 AM
US $1,200 
Entire boat: up to 4 people
There are 5 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.9/5
out of 5 stars from 78 reviews
Boat
4.9/5
Crew
4.9/5
Experience
4.8/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (84)

Great Day on the Kenia River
Casual yet effective
Great Morning Fishing Trip with Jason
+81

Angler rating

65
4
2
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

89%

Appropriate for children

93%

Friendly captain

100%

Satisfied with the boat

100%

Recommend this charter

88%

Caught fish

88%

Showing 1 - 5 of 78 reviews
John M.
John M.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great Day on the Kenia River

VERIFIED
NEW

Full Day Trip – Trout on August 5, 2025

Our first trip to Alaska Jason's Guide Service gave us the fishing trip of a lifetime. Four of us husbands and our wife's who have never fished were up and running in no time catching our limits of Sockeye Salmon. Our guide for the day, Joe, was great assisting our wives with the technics required for them to have a blast. We all highly recommend this fishing trip to anyone of any age a skill level if you want to have a great time with a professional Guide Service.

Our first trip to Alaska Jason's Guide Service gave us the fishing trip of a lifetime. Four of us husbands and our wife's who have never fished were up and running in no time catching our limits of Sockeye Salmon. Our guide for the day, Joe, was great assisting our wives with the technics required for them to have a blast. We all highly recommend this fishing trip to anyone of any age a skill level if you want to have a great time with a professional Guide Service.  

Review media 0
 John M. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service (The Charter Operator)
Replied on August 11, 2025
Thanks John Joe had a great time with you all. Hopefully we see you all next year!!

Jennifer G.
Jennifer G.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great Morning Fishing Trip with Jason

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip – Salmon on July 11, 2025

My family and I had a wonderful day on the Kenai River with Jason. He was an amazing guide who went above and beyond to make our trip special. He took the time to teach my son how to fly fish, and shared helpful tips with both me and my husband. Not only did he get us onto some fish, but he made the whole experience fun and memorable. We truly enjoyed our time with him and would highly recommend Jason to anyone looking for a great fishing adventure on the Kenai.

My family and I had a wonderful day on the Kenai River with Jason. He was an amazing guide who went above and beyond to make our trip special. He took the time to teach my son how to fly fish, and shared helpful tips with both me and my husband. Not only did he get us onto some fish, but he made the whole experience fun and memorable. We truly enjoyed our time with him and would highly recommend Jason to anyone looking for a great fishing adventure on the Kenai.  

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Review media 1
 Jennifer G. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service (The Charter Operator)
Replied on July 12, 2025
Thank you so much Jen. I loved my morning with you and your Boys….ha ha. Great family great morning on the Kenai. Next trip is all about you.

Barton N.
Barton N.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great Fishing Trip

VERIFIED

Full Day Trip – Trout on September 5, 2024

Had an Awesome day of fishing with Jasons Guide Service out of Coopers Landing. Joe is a great guide very personable and great to spend the day and wet some line. Caught world class Rainbows and good sized Dolly’s. They do a great job for the fishery so we will be able to come back.Had a great time fishing with my son and his friend. Great day for a father. A great day had by all. Barton Nelson

Had an Awesome day of fishing with Jasons Guide Service out of Coopers Landing. Joe is a great guide very personable and great to spend the day and wet some line. Caught world class Rainbows and good sized Dolly’s. They do a great job for the fishery so we will be able to come back.Had a great time fishing with my son and his friend. Great day for a father. A great day had by all. Barton Nelson  

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 Barton N. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service (The Charter Operator)
Replied on September 7, 2024
Thank you for the great review. Joe had a great day on the water with you guys. He’s hoping to visit the fellas next year on a Major Marine Tour…….

Michael C.
Michael C.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Best Lifetime Trout

VERIFIED

Full Day Trip – Salmon on July 10, 2025

I was able to catch the largest Rainbow Trout of life (and I'm 68 years old and have been flyfishing since I was 14). We had a great day, lots of large trout and dollies. And the wildlife views were fantastic.

I was able to catch the largest Rainbow Trout of life (and I'm 68 years old and have been flyfishing since I was 14). We had a great day, lots of large trout and dollies. And the wildlife views were fantastic.  

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Review media 1
 Michael C. recommends Jason’s Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service
Jason's Guide Service (The Charter Operator)
Replied on July 11, 2025
Thanks for two fun days in the water. We finished strong!!

Ralph J.
Ralph J.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

We had fun fishing with Jason!

VERIFIED

Full Day Trip – Salmon on June 23, 2025

Normally this time of year is a good time to fish for salmon . I would not be surprised that in a day or two you could quickly get your limit

Normally this time of year is a good time to fish for salmon . I would not be surprised that in a day or two you could quickly get your limit  

 Ralph J. recommends Jason’s Guide Service

...

FAQs about Jason’s Guide Service

What are the trip rates for Jason’s Guide Service?

Jason’s Guide Service offers the following trips to customers:

  • US $900 per group, additional US $100 per person after 3 guests - Half Day Trip – Salmon (4 hours)
  • US $900 per group, additional US $100 per person after 3 guests - Half Day Trip – Trout (4 hours)
  • US $1,200 per group, additional US $200 per person after 3 guests - Full Day Trip – Trout (8 hours)
  • US $1,200 per group, additional US $200 per person after 3 guests - Full Day Trip – Salmon (8 hours)
Which amenities are available onboard with Jason’s Guide Service?

When you book a trip with Jason’s Guide Service, you can expect the following amenities onboard:

  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Ice Box
What's included in the trip price with Jason’s Guide Service?

Trips booked with Jason’s Guide Service include:

  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • Fly Fishing Equipment (Gloomis, Lamson, Shimano,)
What types of fishing does Jason’s Guide Service offer?

Jason’s Guide Service offers the following types of fishing:

  • River Fishing
  • Lake Fishing
  • Backcountry Fishing
What fishing techniques does Jason’s Guide Service offer?

Jason’s Guide Service offers the following fishing techniques:

  • Light Tackle
  • Jigging
  • Fly Fishing
  • Ice Fishing
Which fish species can I catch with Jason’s Guide Service?

Top targeted fish species with Jason’s Guide Service include:

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

Your operator

Jason's Guide Service

Cooper Landing, Alaska, United States

1 Fishing Report
78 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.

The fish you can target

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

What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Skiffs and flats boats
Capacity
4 persons
Boat length
19 ft
Year built
2019
Boat manufacturer
Willie
Boat type
Aluminum fishing

Engine model
Drift
Powered by
1 x 10HP
Max cruising speed
5 knots

What kind of fishing will you do?

River Fishing

Lake Fishing

Backcountry Fishing

Which fishing techniques you can try

Light Tackle

Jigging

Fly Fishing

Ice Fishing

Which amenities are available onboard

GPS

Fishfinder

Ice Box

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle

Lures

Catch cleaning & filleting

Fly Fishing Equipment

Gloomis, Lamson, Shimano,

How cancellations work

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.

What the listing policies are

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

How you can pay

Book with 15% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 15% 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

What’s biting in Cooper Landing right now

Dolly VardenDolly Varden
Salmon (Coho)Salmon (Coho)
Salmon (Sockeye)Salmon (Sockeye)
6 people are looking at this charter.