Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai

Archived Sport Fishing Report

July 06, 2023

ADF&G News

• The Soldotna ADF&G office offers a fishing rod loaner program and has salmon fishing gear anglers can borrow for up to three days. This is a first come, first served program and fishing poles cannot be reserved. For more information, check out the Rod Loaner Program webpage or contact Jenny Gates at
  (907) 262-9368.
• ADF&G is mobile. You can purchase and display your fishing license and king stamp, record your annual harvest (i.e., king salmon, rainbow/steelhead trout, sharks), access sport fishing regulations and locations, and so much more on your mobile device. Download the ADF&G Mobile App today.

Freshwater Fishing

Kenai River

• Lower Kenai River water clarity is improving but water is high.
• Lower Kenai River sockeye salmon fishing has been slow for anglers willing to put in the time but will improve over the next several weeks. Try fishing at Centennial Park, Rotary Park, Donald E. Gilman River Center, Soldotna Visitors Center, Moose Range Meadows, or Soldotna Creek Park.
• Fishing for rainbow trout in the middle Kenai River has been fair but should improve over the next couple of weeks.

Kasilof River

• Kasilof River king salmon fishing is slow. Anglers are reminded that only hatchery-produced fish may be retained. Naturally-produced king salmon have an adipose fin and may not be removed from the water, must be released immediately and returned to the water unharmed. The bag limit for king salmon is 1 hatchery-produced king salmon per day. Anglers are reminded that there is a combined annual limit of 5 king salmon 20 inches or longer. See page 66 of the 2023 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Summary Booklet for more information on the annual limit. Only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure is allowed. See emergency order for more information.
• Sockeye salmon fishing on the Kasilof River is fair for anglers willing to put in the time. Bag limits for sockeye salmon are 6 per day and 12 in possession. See emergency order for more information. Try fishing for sockeye salmon from shore at the Crooked Creek State Recreation Site.

Russian River

• Sockeye salmon fishing in the Upper Kenai and Russian rivers is slowing down. Bag limits are 9 fish per day and 18 in possession through July 14. After the emergency order expires, bag limits will revert to general regulations. See pages 59-61 of the 2023 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for more information. Anglers are reminded that they may possess only the limit allowed for the waters they are actively fishing.
  • Anglers should be aware that parking may be limited and there could be a wait to get into the campground. Anglers should also be cautious when driving through the area and avoid parking on the Sterling Highway. If possible, try and utilize carpooling or taking a shuttle to the area.
  • Please be mindful of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service Forest Orders and anglers are reminded to remove fish carcasses whole or gutted/gilled from the Russian River clear water. If you clean your catch, take fish to the mainstem Kenai River cleaning tables located at the confluence and ferry crossing to fillet and chop-up sockeye salmon carcasses into small pieces and throw the pieces into deep, flowing waters. Please respect habitat and cultural resource protection sites that are fenced or roped off, stay on the established trails and boardwalks, and use public restroom facilities in the campgrounds and ferry areas. Please keep all personal belongings, including stringers of fish closely attended.

Personal Use

• An Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit is required in addition to a sport fishing license. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit harvest and participation must be reported online no later than August 15 through the ADF&G harvest reporting webpage. Permit holders who fail to report will be denied an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon permit the following year and may be subject to a $200 fine. If you did not use the permit or if you used the permit but did not catch anything you still have to report. Returning permits by mail or hand-delivery is no longer an acceptable means to report.
• New regulation reminder! Please be aware that felt soles or other fiber material on the soles of wading boots are prohibited while personal use fishing (dipnetting).

Kasilof River

• The personal use dip net fishery on the Kasilof River is reported as fair. The area allowed to dip net both from shore and by boat has been expanded by emergency order. See the emergency order below for more information. Dipnetting is open 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Anglers are reminded that retention of king salmon, Dolly Varden, or rainbow/steelhead trout is not allowed, and fish must be released immediately unharmed.

Kenai River

• The Kenai River dipnet fishery will open on Monday, July 10. Fishing is only allowed between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. Please refer to page 13-14 of the 2023 the Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for a map denoting areas open and closed to dipnetting. Retention of king salmon in this fishery is prohibited. King salmon may not be removed from the water, must be released immediately, and returned to the water unharmed. Please see emergency order below for more information.
  • Beach and boating access fees, live fishery web cameras, and dipnet app information, can be found online here.

Local Lakes

• Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land locked salmon is good to 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.
• Johnson Lake is fishing excellent. This is a great lake to take youth anglers fishing at!
• John Hedberg Lake located in Nikiski is fishing excellent! This is a nice lake to picnic at or enjoy a hike along the trail system!
• Not familiar with all the stocked lakes in the area? Check out the ADF&G publication with locations, access, and other valuable information on Kenai Peninsula area lakes. More lake information can be found on the ADF&G Alaska Lakes Database.
• Many local lakes have been stocked with rainbow trout and coho salmon 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 advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

Kenai River

• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-29-23 increases the bag and possession limits for salmon, other than king salmon, to 9 fish per day and eighteen fish in possession in that area of the Kenai River upstream from Skilak Lake to ADF&G regulatory markers located approximately 300 yards upstream of the public boat launch at Sportsman’s Landing and the Russian River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G marker located approximately 600 yards downstream from the Russian River Falls effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, June 24, 2023 through 11:59 p.m. Friday, July 14, 2023.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-25-23 opens the Russian River Sanctuary area to sport fishing for sockeye salmon.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-10-23 closes sport fishing for king salmon of all sizes in the Kenai River from the mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake from 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 1 through 11:59 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2023. Fishing for king salmon will remain closed from 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 1 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 31, 2023, 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. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. King salmon may not be retained or possessed; king salmon accidentally caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-11-23 closes the Kenai River to fishing for king salmon and prohibits the use of bait and multiple hooks in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to ADF&G markers located at the outlet of Skilak Lake from 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 1 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, July 31, 2023. This closure prohibits all sport fishing for king salmon, including catch-and-release fishing. King salmon may not be retained or possessed; king salmon caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Kasilof River

• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-32-23 increases the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, 16 inches or longer, to 6 fish per day and 12 in possession in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing effective 12:01 a.m. Friday June 30, 2023. No more than 2 salmon per day and 2 in possession may be coho salmon.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-33-23 prohibits the retention of naturally-produced king salmon while sport fishing in the Kasilof River downstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge. Only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used when sport fishing in these waters effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 1, 2023. Naturally-produced king salmon may not be retained or possessed, may not be removed from the water, and must be released immediately.

Personal Use

• Emergency order 2-KS-1-40-23 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-1-28-23 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 effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday, June 25 through 11:59 p.m. Monday, August 7, 2023.

Cook Inlet Salt Waters

Emergency Order 2-KS-7-15-23 prohibits sport fishing for king salmon (including catch-and-release) in the salt waters of Cook Inlet north of the latitude of Bluff Point (59° 40.00' N. lat.) effective 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 15 through Monday, July 31. King salmon incidentally caught while fishing for other fish may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Local Lakes

• Emergency Order 2-NP-1-04-23 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey and Derks lakes for the 2023 season.
• Emergency Order 2-DV-1-03-23 establishes a bag and possession limit of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake of one fish, less than 16 inches in length for the 2023 season.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2023 sport fishing license and king stamp! You can purchase your 2023 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, advisory announcements, and the 2023 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing in before you head out.

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