(Soldotna) - The Kenai River personal use dip net fishery will be open 24 hours per day, beginning 11:00 p.m. Friday, July 18 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, July 31, 2025.

The area of the Kenai River open to personal use dipnetting remains the same. Please review page 78 of the 2025 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for a complete description of the area open to dipnetting, along with harvest limits and permit requirements. Participants are reminded that retention of king salmon is prohibited, and any king salmon caught must be returned immediately to the water. Additionally, to participate in the Upper Cook Inlet personal use fisheries, participants must be Alaska residents and have in their possession a current 2025 sport fishing license and an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit. Nonresidents are not allowed to participate in personal use fisheries.

The Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon Fishery Management Plan allows ADF&G to increase the hours open to dipnetting in the Kenai River personal use fishery to 24 hours per day, if ADF&G is projecting a run size that exceeds 2.3 million late-run Kenai River sockeye salmon and anticipates the escapement goal (750,000 - 1,300,000 sockeye salmon) will be achieved. As of July 16, the current run projection for Kenai River sockeye salmon is 2.74 million.

Please respect all private property adjacent to public beaches and follow applicable rules and regulations when on lands owned by the City of Kenai.

For additional information, please contact Area Management Biologist Phill Stacey at (907) 260-2920.

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