Kenai River (Alaska)

The Kenai holds the world record for king salmon — a 97-pound, 4-ounce monster pulled from its glacial-turquoise waters in 1985. Five species of Pacific salmon run this river annually, and the sockeye run in July draws tens of thousands of anglers standing shoulder-to-shoulder in "combat fishing." It's raw, wild, and produces fish that make lower-48 catches look like bait.