Area Sport Fishing Reports
Southern Kenai/LCI

September 4, 2026

Freshwater Fishing

• Expect fair to good fishing for coho salmon in lower sections of the lower Kenai Peninsula roadside streams. Gear was restricted to single-hook artificial lures starting September 1, so spinners, spoons, plugs, and flies are the best options. For the best success, try fishing the early morning or in the intertidal section after high tide.
• For Dolly Varden both the lower and upstream sections of the lower Kenai Peninsula roadside streams have been productive over the last week. For the best success, try locating larger concentrations of them. Beads and small spinners work best.
• Steelhead have been arriving to these streams in small numbers, and have been caught by anglers targeting coho salmon and Dolly Varden. Expect slow fishing for another week but should be good throughout the remainder of September when the water conditions are conducive to fishing. Typically dead drifting beads is the most effective way to catch steelhead in these streams.

Saltwater Fishing - Kachemak Bay/Cook Inlet

Halibut

Halibut fishing will likely be good over the next week. Anglers are reporting success throughout Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet. Try drifting to explore new areas and find concentrations of fish. If fishing is slow, try moving to a new location. Herring is the most common bait, but don’t hesitate try octopus, pollock, and even salmon heads or fins.

King and Coho Salmon

King and coho salmon fishing was fair to good over the last week. Both king and coho salmon are scattered throughout Kachemak Bay, and anglers are finding success within Kachemak Bay, along Bluff Point, and offshore. Small troll herring or spoons behind a flasher is the most popular setup, but hootchies and tube flies will also produce fish. To find salmon at any location, try setting the gear at different depths including mid-water column and 10 feet off the bottom.

Emergency Orders

Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip:

• King Salmon Restrictions in Cook Inlet Salt Waters
• Rockfish Restrictions in North Gulf Coast and Cook Inlet
• Cook Inlet and North Gulf Coast Sport and Personal Use Razor Clam Permit Now Required

For additional information, please contact the Homer ADF&G Office at 907-235-8191.