Kenai Chinook Estimates, Indices and Inseason Run Summaries
See also the prior Final Early Run Chinook Inseason Summary
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Location: Kenai River (Chinook) |
The selected years are color-coded in the graphs below:
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Daily Counts
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Cumulative
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Description: In 2015 the department began managing Kenai River king salmon runs using an ARIS sonar station located at river mile 14. In 2017 the Department modified the Kenai River king salmon escapement goals from goals based on king salmon of all sizes, to escapement goals based on large king salmon (fish over 34 inches) only. The early-run king salmon optimal escapement goal range is 3,900 to 6,600 large king salmon (> 34 inches). In 2020 the late-run king salmon escapement goal was modified to an optimal escapement goal range is 15,000 to 30,000 large king salmon (> 34 inches). The ARIS sonar counts found on this page are the daily and seasonal cumulative passage estimates of the number of large king salmon passing the sonar site. Additionally, the past years counts displayed on this page have been converted to large fish counts for comparison. These estimated numbers of large king salmon passing the sonar site are the primary tool for the Kenai River king salmon assessment program that also includes a sport angler harvest survey, and a netting program. The data gathered in these assessments are used together to determine king salmon run strength. This data in conjunction with Fishery Management Plans, allows fishery managers to determine if emergency order regulation changes to the fisheries are needed during the season to help ensure that the escapement goals are achieved. These abundance assessments as well as information about the status of the run and inseason management actions can be viewed via this website on the above tabs. Information is also available by telephone at (907)262-9097.
Optimal Escapement Goal for Chinook - Early Run:
3,900 - 6,600
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Contact:
Upper Cook Inlet Area Management Biologist, | |
51 records returned for the years selected. Dashes indicate days with no count.
[Export results in Excel format or JSON format]
| Date 2023 |
Count 2023 |
Cumulative 2023 |
Cumulative 2022 |
Cumulative 2021 |
Cumulative 2020 |
Cumulative 2019 |
Notes for 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug-20 | - | 0 | 13,425 | 11,832 | 11,499 | 11,868 | |
| Aug-19 | - | 0 | 13,425 | 11,754 | 11,486 | 11,747 | |
| Aug-18 | - | 0 | 13,338 | 11,656 | 11,413 | 11,723 | |
| Aug-17 | - | 0 | 13,253 | 11,486 | 11,292 | 11,687 | |
| Aug-16 | - | 0 | 13,124 | 11,419 | 11,062 | 11,571 | |
| Aug-15 | - | 0 | 12,961 | 11,279 | 10,813 | 11,413 | |
| Aug-14 | - | 0 | 12,779 | 11,151 | 10,491 | 11,298 | |
| Aug-13 | - | 0 | 12,567 | 10,884 | 10,254 | 11,074 | |
| Aug-12 | - | 0 | 12,257 | 10,684 | 10,066 | 11,013 | |
| Aug-11 | - | 0 | 11,887 | 10,491 | 9,867 | 10,898 | |
| Aug-10 | - | 0 | 11,626 | 10,303 | 9,719 | 10,753 | |
| Aug-09 | - | 0 | 11,407 | 9,757 | 9,616 | 10,629 | |
| Aug-08 | - | 0 | 11,270 | 9,248 | 9,483 | 10,538 | |
| Aug-07 | - | 0 | 11,124 | 8,872 | 9,325 | 10,410 | |
| Aug-06 | - | 0 | 10,875 | 8,419 | 9,185 | 10,198 | |
| Aug-05 | - | 0 | 10,487 | 8,064 | 8,827 | 10,059 | |
| Aug-04 | - | 0 | 10,024 | 7,747 | 8,494 | 9,889 | |
| Aug-03 | - | 0 | 9,711 | 7,504 | 8,089 | 9,586 | |
| Aug-02 | - | 0 | 9,377 | 6,729 | 7,932 | 9,434 | |
| Aug-01 | - | 0 | 9,001 | 6,420 | 7,647 | 9,258 | |
| Jul-31 | - | 0 | 8,686 | 6,189 | 7,465 | 9,118 | |
| Jul-30 | - | 0 | 8,189 | 5,818 | 7,112 | 8,906 | |
| Jul-29 | - | 0 | 7,825 | 5,636 | 6,681 | 8,615 | |
| Jul-28 | - | 0 | 7,394 | 5,296 | 6,456 | 8,373 | |
| Jul-27 | - | 0 | 7,077 | 5,077 | 6,019 | 8,118 | |
| Jul-26 | - | 0 | 6,531 | 4,864 | 5,692 | 7,876 | |
| Jul-25 | - | 0 | 6,136 | 4,610 | 5,438 | 7,543 | |
| Jul-24 | - | 0 | 5,675 | 4,452 | 5,146 | 7,213 | |
| Jul-23 | - | 0 | 5,329 | 4,270 | 4,970 | 6,849 | |
| Jul-22 | - | 0 | 4,927 | 4,142 | 4,787 | 6,473 | |
| Jul-21 | - | 0 | 4,539 | 3,953 | 4,520 | 5,970 | |
| Jul-20 | - | 0 | 4,142 | 3,717 | 4,164 | 5,424 | |
| Jul-19 | - | 0 | 3,832 | 3,207 | 3,879 | 4,921 | |
| Jul-18 | - | 0 | 3,419 | 2,872 | 3,615 | 4,551 | |
| Jul-17 | - | 0 | 2,982 | 2,581 | 3,404 | 4,132 | |
| Jul-16 | - | 0 | 2,655 | 2,363 | 3,153 | 3,647 | |
| Jul-15 | - | 0 | 2,352 | 2,113 | 2,941 | 3,343 | |
| Jul-14 | - | 0 | 2,147 | 1,871 | 2,680 | 3,021 | |
| Jul-13 | - | 0 | 1,890 | 1,714 | 2,220 | 2,657 | |
| Jul-12 | - | 0 | 1,751 | 1,538 | 1,699 | 2,397 | |
| Jul-11 | - | 0 | 1,597 | 1,423 | 1,407 | 2,067 | |
| Jul-10 | - | 0 | 1,475 | 1,303 | 1,249 | 1,734 | |
| Jul-09 | - | 0 | 1,162 | 1,121 | 989 | 1,455 | |
| Jul-08 | - | 0 | 950 | 994 | 831 | 1,252 | |
| Jul-07 | - | 0 | 731 | 812 | 728 | 1,053 | |
| Jul-06 | - | 0 | 537 | 709 | 583 | 890 | |
| Jul-05 | - | 0 | 404 | 606 | 407 | 630 | |
| Jul-04 | - | 0 | 307 | 515 | 304 | 473 | |
| Jul-03 | - | 0 | 222 | 369 | 219 | 314 | |
| Jul-02 | - | 0 | 172 | 253 | 146 | 235 | |
| Jul-01 | - | 0 | 123 | 140 | 73 | 97 |
Non-Sonar Tools
Late Run Netting Project CPUE Index
The Net Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is an index of the numbers of Chinook salmon moving into the Kenai River and is based on the rate at which Chinook salmon are captured by the netting project conducted at river mile 8.6.
Late Run Sport CPUE Index
The Sport Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is an index of the numbers of Chinook salmon in the lower Kenai River and is based on the success rate of anglers fishing downstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge Crossing in Soldotna.
Late Run Netting Project Large Fish CPUE Index
The Net Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is an index of the numbers of Chinook salmon moving into the Kenai River and is based on the rate at which Chinook salmon are captured by the netting project conducted at the sonar station located at river mile 8.6.
Late Run Netting Project CPUE Index
The Net Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is an index of the numbers of Chinook salmon moving into the Kenai River and is based on the rate at which Chinook salmon are captured by the netting project conducted at river mile 8.6.
Late Run Sport CPUE Index
The Sport Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is an index of the numbers of Chinook salmon in the lower Kenai River and is based on the success rate of anglers fishing downstream of the Sterling Highway Bridge Crossing in Soldotna.
Late Run Netting Project Large Fish CPUE Index
The Net Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) is an index of the numbers of Chinook salmon moving into the Kenai River and is based on the rate at which Chinook salmon are captured by the netting project conducted at the sonar station located at river mile 8.6.
Weekly Sportfish Fishing Report for this area
Final Late Run Kenai River Chinook Inseason Summary
KENAI RIVER LATE-RUN KING SALMON FINAL INSEASON SUMMARY
King Salmon Run Update:
Abundance estimation of Kenai River late-run king salmon began on July 1 and concluded August 20. The total estimated passage thru August 20th was 11,868 large king salmon (≥ 75 cm mid-eye-to-tail-fork-length or ~ 34 inches in total length). The return is well below the preseason forecast of 21,700 large king salmon and did not achieve the sustainable escapement goal (13,500–27,000 large fish). Based upon inseason assessment, preliminary estimated sport fish harvest is 931 large king salmon and the preliminary estimated eastside set net harvest is 690 large king salmon (Table 1). Inseason assessment of the king salmon run consists of the sonar at RM 14 on the Kenai River mainstem, a sport angler creel survey of the lower river, inriver test netting for age, sex, length composition, and sampling of king salmon harvest in the east side set net commercial fishery. These information sources, along with historical data allow ADF&G managers to formulate inseason run projections of estimated escapement, harvest, and total run of large Kenai River king salmon. Table 1 displays the final 2019 projection data. The inseason assessment data suggest that the run was one day early and notably lacked the 30-40% of the run that historically comes in the first week of August. Finalized harvest and escapement data will be published this coming winter after post-season analysis is complete.
Fishery Update:
The king salmon sport fishery is closed by regulation on July 31.
For complete information about the late-run outlook please visit the following link:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/fishing/pdfs/sport/byarea/southcentral/2019KenaiLateRunOutlook.pdf
Table 1. 2019 Inseason Summary Estimates for Kenai River Late-run Large Chinook Salmon
The Department switched to a large fish (≥34”) escapement goal for Kenai king salmon beginning with the 2017 season. Smaller king salmon are also important and contribute to the escapement, but our current ability to accurately apportion counts to all species in a timely manner is lacking. A fish length of ≥34” was chosen because fish in that size range are nearly all king salmon.
Footnotes
- Estimates and projections provided in the table are preliminary and will change as the season progresses. Each component is an estimate and has uncertainty associated with it.
- The size of distribution of king salmon is not constant over the run; larger kings typically become more abundant in the harvest and the run as the season progresses.
- The inseason estimated number of large kings in the ESSN harvest is likely biased. Post-season analysis is used to produce unbiased estimates.
- Genetic samples collected from the ESSN are NOT analyzed inseason
- Estimates of large Kenai kings in the ESSN harvest provided in the table are based on minimum, mean, and maximum annual estimates from prior years (2010-2018).
- ADF&G estimates that the harvest of king Salmon in the PU fishery will be negligible in 2019 since the harvest of kings in the PU fishery was closed by EO preseason.
This information was compiled based on raw and historical data for inseason management purposes.
Final data is subject to change.