The Kenai River is a glacial stream that drains the central Kenai Peninsula. Glacial silt gives the Kenai River its various hues and shades of blues and greens. The Kenai River is the longest river in Southcentral Alaska flowing 82-miles from Kenai Lake to the outlet at Cook Inlet.
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How many fish can I keep on the Kenai River?
10 per day, 10 in possession, in combination with coho (in season), sockeye, chum, or pink salmon less than 16 inches in length. Fishing for sockeye and chum salmon is open the entire year unless otherwise noted below. 16 inches or longer: 3 per day, 6 in possession in combination.
Is the Kenai River open for fishing?
In June, the lower Kenai River is open for Chinook, sockeye, and pink salmon, as well as, Arctic char/Dolly Varden fishing. Legal fishing tackle is restricted to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure, any size hook.
What is the limit for salmon on the Kenai River?
Kenai River No more than two salmon, 16 inches or longer, per day and in possession may be coho salmon.
Can you use spinners on the Kenai River?
Spinners and spoons work okay on the Kenai, along with bouncing fly patterns or beads (salmon egg imitations) down the river which seems to be more productive.
Can you keep kings on the Kenai River?
Kenai River Early-Run (January 1 – June 30) The bag and possession limit for king salmon 20 inches or greater in length is one king salmon. Only king salmon less than 34 inches in length may be retained. King salmon 34 inches in length and greater may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
Where is the best fishing on Kenai River?
Preferred fishing areas are from Naptowne Rapids upstream to Skilak Lake, and from the inlet of Skilak Lake upstream to Kenai Lake.
How many halibut can I catch in Alaska 2022?
Unguided halibut sport fishers in Alaska will continue to observe a daily bag limit of 2 fish of any size per person per day. Alaska commercial IFQ halibut season dates are March 6 through December 7, 2022 for all IPHC management areas in Alaska.
What is the best month to fish in Alaska?
The best time to travel to Alaska for fishing tends to be in the summer months of June, July, and August for peak season. During these months you can catch the end of the King Salmon season, and peak times for Silver, Red, Pink and Chum Salmon.
What is the limit on coho salmon in Alaska?
COHO, CHUM, PINK, AND SOCKEYE SALMON 16 inches or longer: 6 of each species per day, 12 of each species in possession.
How many salmon can you keep in Alaska?
The Alaska resident bag and possession limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. The nonresident bag and possession limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length. The nonresident annual limit is three king salmon 28 inches or greater in length.
Can you keep silver salmon?
It is now illegal to keep silver salmon in California.
What lures to use on the Kenai River?
The preferred lures for Kenai River king salmon are size 14 to 16 Luhr-Jensen Kwikfish and Spin-N-Glo’s each with bait if allowed.
How do you catch the Silver Salmon in the Kenai River?
Fly Fishing, Spin Fishing, Back Trollling, Bobber and Eggs and Spey Fishing all work very well for Silver Salmon fishing on the Kenai River. We target Silvers as they migrate up the river or in slack water areas just off the main current where Silver Salmon like to hold well before they spawn.
How fast do sockeye swim up the Kenai?
This means we approximate the sockeye travel one mile per hour as they race upstream. Knowing the main blast of fish typically comes on a high tide, one can calculate where to be and when for the best concentrations of fish.
How much fish can I bring back from Alaska?
How much fish can we take with us? There is no set pound limit on how much fish a person can take home with them.
Where is the best salmon fishing in Alaska?
The Kenai River sits in south central Alaska in the state’s Kenai Peninsula. The river is quite arguably the state’s most popular sport fishing destination for Chinook (also known as King) salmon. In fact, the world record king salmon, weighing in at 97 lbs, was caught in the Kenai in 1985.
What happened to the king salmon in Alaska?
So far, 2020 is continuing years of king salmon declines in Cook Inlet. The Kenai River king salmon run has been weak enough to prompt the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to close it to retention, and the Anchor River and Deep Creek closed to all sport fishing earlier this summer to protect king salmon.
Can you wade the Kenai River?
Cooper Landing is known as having some of the best wading access on the entire Kenai River. The Upper Kenai River from the Cooper Landing Viewpoint and Boat Launch to Jim’s Landing is generally narrower and shallower than the Middle and Lower Kenai River.
How do you fish a red Kenai?

How is the fishing on the Kenai River?
The upper and mid river are excellent wade and drift boat fishing, which lends itself to lightweight spin casting and fly fishing for our amazing Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden, and the lower river is known for back trolling and spin casting to dime bright salmon coming in on the tides.
What days can you not fish for halibut in Alaska?
Wednesday closures: Charter vessel anglers may not catch and retain halibut (except GAF) on all Wednesdays for the entire season.
What is the biggest halibut caught in Alaska?
The Alaska state record sport-caught halibut was caught in Unalaska Bay in 1996 and weighed 459 pounds.
What is the most popular fish to catch in Alaska?
The Alaskan Leopard Rainbow trout is without question one of Alaska’s most prized sportfish in which hundreds of anglers come to target every year. The rainbow trout can be found in almost all of Alaska’s rivers and can be caught from June through October.
What is the best tasting salmon?
Chinook Salmon/King Salmon Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha), also known as King salmon, is considered by many to be the best-tasting of the salmon bunch. They have a high-fat content and corresponding rich flesh that ranges from white to a deep red color.