Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai
Archived Sport Fishing Report
July 20, 2017
Week of July 20 to July 26
Emergency Orders and Regulation Reminders
- Emergency Orders are in effect for the following areas:
- In Stormy Lake: The retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden is prohibited all year long, as part of an effort to restore this native fish.
- In Soldotna Creek Drainage Lakes: The retention of species other than northern pike is prohibited all year long in East and West Mackey, Union, and Derks Lake, as part of an effort to restore native fish.
- In Upper Kenai and Russian Rivers: The daily bag limit for sockeye salmon in these waters is three per day and six in possession.
- The 2017 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet is available at Fish and Game offices as well as from many sport fishing license vendors. The regulations can also be viewed or download from the department’s web page.
Salmon - Kenai & Kasilof Rivers
- Fishing for late-run king salmon on the Kenai continues to be very good. Bait is only allowed downstream of the Slikok sanctuary markers. Most anglers are catching kings on large plugs wrapped in sardines or with cured salmon roe while back-trolling.
- Fishing for late-run king salmon on the Kasilof has been good recently with increased passage of kings into the river.
- Fishing for sockeye salmon on the lower Kenai continues to be slow. Until fish enter the Kenai in numbers greater than what’s occurred, fishing will continue to be slow.
- Fishing for sockeye salmon in the Upper Kenai and Russian River Rivers is slow. Fishing should improve later when late-run sockeye make their way to the Upper Kenai area.
Resident Fish - Kenai & Kasilof Rivers
- Fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden in these waters is very good.
Lake Fishing
- Lake fishing for rainbow trout has been good.
Northern Pike
- All public accessible lakes on the Peninsula have had invasive pike removed.
Personal Use
- Personal use dip netting on the Kasilof River has been good recently with higher levels of fish abundance.
- Personal use dip netting on the Kenai River has been better recently as numbers of sockeye have increased slightly. Dip netting on the Kenai River is expected to continue to be slow until daily sockeye sonar counts start picking up.