Mike Z’s Guide Service is a full-time fishing guide operation based in Forks, Washington, run by Mike Zavadlov and focused on salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon across the Olympic Peninsula and Southwest Washington rivers. Mike started the business in January 2008 after years in partnership with Bob Kratzer of Angler’s Guide Service, building on a guiding career that began at Mission Lodge in Alaska and continued through six summers guiding and managing at Alaska Kingfishers.
Mike moved to Forks in 1997 and has guided full-time ever since, drawing on decades of experience across the region’s famous rivers. While most trips are gear fishing, Mike also has a strong passion for fly fishing, and the rivers of the Olympic Peninsula give him the chance to share that with clients chasing a trophy steelhead on the fly. Trips are built around the seasonal runs of salmon and steelhead, with sturgeon fishing available as well depending on the river and time of year.
Beyond guided fishing, Mike Z’s Guide Service also operates OP Raft Company, giving the business a broader presence in Olympic Peninsula outdoor recreation beyond fishing charters alone. This combination reflects Mike’s deep familiarity with the area’s rivers, which he’s spent years exploring both professionally and personally, alongside his other outdoor passion of bowhunting elk in the western states.
As a full-time operation rather than a seasonal side business, Mike Z’s Guide Service is positioned to offer year-round guiding across the Olympic Peninsula’s river systems, with prime dates for steelhead season known to fill up quickly. Clients looking for either a traditional gear-fishing trip or a chance to fly fish for trophy steelhead can work with Mike to plan a trip suited to their preferences and the season.
For anglers looking to fish the Olympic Peninsula’s rivers with an experienced, full-time local guide, Mike Z’s Guide Service offers a combination of salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon trips backed by decades of guiding experience in Washington and Alaska.
