Contact:
George Pappas
Area Management Biologist
Phone: 907.262.9368

Fishing for rainbow/steelhead trout, including catch-and-release, in the flowing waters of the Kenai River is closed by regulation from May 2 – June 10, to protect spawning fish.

However, in 2005, many anglers were documented catching and releasing rainbows during this closed period while targeting Dolly Varden.  Many of these anglers were removing rainbow trout from the water before releasing them.  Prohibiting anglers from removing rainbow trout from the water during the spawning closure may reduce mortality of these incidentally-caught trout during a time period when the spawning fish may be more susceptible to handling mortality.

In order to provide further protection for Kenai River rainbow trout, an Emergency Order has been issued that states rainbows that are caught while fishing for other species from May 2 – June 10 cannot be removed from the water before being released.

This Emergency Order applies to the flowing waters from the mouth of the Kenai River upstream to Skilak Lake, and the waters of Skilak Lake within a one-half mile radius of the Kenai River Inlet.

Other streams on the Kenai Peninsula, such as the Kasilof River and the Anchor River, have a similar regulation.

Anglers fishing for Dolly Varden during the rainbow trout spawning closure should fish downstream of spawning rainbow trout where the Dolly Varden tend to hold and feed on drifting eggs.