Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 24, 2019

Week of July 24 - July 31

Freshwater Fishing

• King salmon sport fishing on the Lower Kenai River is fair. Water conditions continue to be relatively high; however, turbidity and clarity is improving. Sport fishing gear in these waters is limited to one, unbaited, single-hook, artificial fly or lure. Please see corresponding Emergency Orders below.
  • King salmon of any size may be retained in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream of the mouth of Slikok Creek.
  • Only king salmon less than 36 inches in total length may be retained from an ADF&G marker located 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located at the outlet of Skilak Lake.
• The Upper Kenai River, Russian River, and Russian River Sanctuary Area are open to sport fishing for sockeye salmon and angler success has been good to excellent in the past few days. Anglers are reminded bag limit is to three fish per day, six in possession.
• Kasilof River king salmon sport fishing is slow. Anglers are reminded that Crooked Creek is closed to fishing and additionally king salmon fishing is closed upstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge on the Kasilof River mainstem. Anglers may harvest either naturally-produced or hatchery-produced king salmon below the Sterling Highway Bridge. Bait and multiple hooks are prohibited. Please see page 70 of the 2019 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.
• Kasilof River sockeye salmon sport fishing is fair. Please see corresponding Emergency Order below regarding bag and possession limits effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 24.
• Rainbow trout sport fishing on the Middle and Upper Kenai River is good to excellent.
• Sockeye salmon sport fishing on the Lower Kenai River is improving and reported as fair to good as the Kenai River water level is still high but decreasing. 

Personal Use Fishing

• The Kasilof River dipnet fishery opened June 25. A resident sport fishing license and Cook Inlet Personal Use permit are required. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Any king salmon, Dolly Varden, or rainbow/steelhead trout must be released immediately unharmed to the water. Please see page 14 of the 2019 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.
  • Kasilof River personal use fishing is good.
  • Please see corresponding Emergency Order below expanding the area for shore and boat dipnetting effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 24.
• The Kenai River dipnet fishery opened July 10. A resident sport fishing license and Cook Inlet Personal Use permit are required. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Please see page 14 of the 2019 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet. Anglers are reminded king salmon MAY NOT be retained and must be released immediately. Please see the corresponding Emergency Order below.
  • Kenai River personal use fishing has been good.
  • For beach and boating access fees, live fishery web cameras and dipnet app information, please visit the City of Kenai’s Dipnet webpage.

Local Lakes

• There are plenty of local lakes that provide a nice and quiet fishing opportunity in the Soldotna area.
• Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land locked salmon is excellent. Try fishing with dry or wet flies such as an egg sucking leech, bead head nymph or mosquito pattern, small spoons and spinners size #0 or #2, or small bait under a bobber.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and News Releases below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

• Emergency Order 2-DV-1-03-19 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake.
• Emergency Order 2-NP-1-04-19 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey Lake, West Mackey Lake, Sevena Lake, Union Lake, and Derks Lake.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-22-19 prohibits the use of bait and multiple hooks while sport fishing in the Kasilof River downstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge. In flowing waters, from July 1 - July 31, 2019, only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-23-19 prohibits the use of bait and multiple hooks while sport fishing in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek. Only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used from July 1 - July 31, 2019.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-29-19 rescinds Emergency Order 2-KS-1-09-19 and restores normal regulations that allow the retention of king salmon less than 36 inches in total length from an ADF&G marker located 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located at the outlet of Skilak Lake. Sport fishing gear in these waters are limited to one, unbaited, single-hook, artificial fly or lure.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-30-19 prohibits the retention of king salmon in the Kenai River personal use dip net fishery. Any king salmon caught incidentally may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-36-19 expands the personal use salmon dipnet fishing area on the Kasilof River. Salmon may be harvested from the shore from ADF&G markers located on Cook Inlet beaches outside the terminus of the river upstream to the Sterling Highway Bridge. Salmon may be harvested from a boat from ADF&G markers located on Cook Inlet beaches outside the terminus of the river upstream to ADF&G markers placed at approximately river mile 3.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-37-19 increased the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, 16 inches or longer, from three fish per day to six fish per day and twelve in possession in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing. No more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon.

For additional information, please contact the Soldotna Area Office at (907) 262-9368.