Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai

Archived Sport Fishing Report

June 15, 2021

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing, and wearing a face-covering when social distancing is not possible, and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store.

Freshwater Fishing

  • The early-run Kenai River king salmon sport fishery is currently under general regulations but will be restricted to catch-and-release and the retention of king salmon of any size will be prohibited beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 17, 2021. Bait is prohibited, and only one single-hook artificial lure may be used. See emergency order 2-KS-1-21-21 below for more info.
  • King salmon fishing on the Kenai River is slow to fair and water levels are high and the river is turbid.
  • The flowing waters of the Kenai River mainstem upstream of the Lower Killey River marker and all Kenai River tributary streams opened to fishing on Friday, June 11. Fishing for rainbow trout in these waters is good.
  • The Upper Kenai and Russian rivers opened to fishing for sockeye salmon on Friday, June 11. The Russian River Sanctuary area is closed to fishing for all species at this time. Sockeye salmon fishing is expected to be slow to fair.
  • Bing's Landing, The Pillars, Izaak Walton, Swiftwater Park, and Centennial Park boat launches are open; however, some amenities may not be in service at this time.
  • Kasilof River king salmon fishing will be restricted to two hatchery-produced fish over 20 inches and retention of naturally-produced king salmon will be prohibited beginning at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 17, 2021. See emergency order 2-KS-1-20-21 below for more info.
  • King salmon fishing is fair to good with good catch rates of hatchery-produced fish. Try fishing for king salmon from shore at the Crooked Creek State Recreation Site.
  • Fishing for sea-run Dolly Varden at the mouth of Resurrection Creek in Hope should be picking up this time of year. Try using pink fry pattern flies.

Saltwater Fishing

  • Surf fishing for halibut along of the beaches of Cook Inlet south of the Kenai River has been fair. Pacific halibut fisheries are managed by the federal government under an international treaty. Please consult federal regulations and see page 73 of the 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.
    • Interested in surf fishing for halibut but don't know where to start? Check out the latest ADF&G Youtube fishing forum video!

Local Lakes

  • There are plenty of other fishing opportunities in Southcentral Alaska. This is the perfect time to visit locally stocked lakes as the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery is busy stocking fish.
  • Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land-locked salmon is good. 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.
  • Johnson Lake in Kasilof is fishing very well.
  • Many local lakes have been stocked with rainbow trout fingerling recently. For specific lake stocking information including species stocked and numbers of fish stocked, directions, bathymetric maps, and amenities, please visit the ADF&G Alaska Lakes Database.

Emergency Orders

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

  • Division of Commercial Fisheries Emergency Order 2S-02-21 reduces the personal use set gillnet fishery at the mouth of the Kasilof River from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily, from Thursday, June 17 through Thursday, June 24, 2021.
  • Emergency Order 2-KS-1-21-21 prohibits the retention of king salmon of all sizes in the Kenai River from the mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake from June 17 through June 30, 2021. Retention of king salmon will remain prohibited July 1 through July 31, 2021, in waters of the Kenai River drainage from an ADF&G regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek, upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake. Only one, unbaited, single-hook artificial lure may be used in the waters restricted to catch-and-release.
  • Emergency Order 2-KS-1-20-21 prohibits the retention of naturally-produced king salmon while sport fishing in the Kasilof River Naturally-produced king salmon have adipose fin and may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. The bag and possession limit of hatchery-produced king salmon remains at 2 per day and 2 in possession. This emergency order is effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, June 17 through 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, June 30, 2021.
  • Emergency Order 2-NP-1-02-21 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey, Sevena, Union, and Derks lakes for the 2021 season.
  • Emergency Order 2-DV-1-01-21 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake for the 2021 season.

Don't forget to purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2021 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

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