Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 01, 2022

ADF&G News

The Soldotna ADF&G office is now offering 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 rods 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, halibut), 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

  • The Kenai River is high and water conditions are turbid due recent rains.
  • Resident species fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden is fair on the Middle and Upper Kenai River and Kenai River tributaries.
  • Coho salmon fishing on the Lower Kenai River is good and expected to be good for the next few weeks. Bait and multiple hooks are allowed.
    • Try fishing at Centennial Park, Rotary Park, Donald E. Gilman River Center, Soldotna Visitors Center, Moose Range Meadows, or Soldotna Creek Park.
    • Incidentally hooked king salmon while fishing for other species may not be retained or possessed.
    • King salmon caught may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. Anglers should avoid fishing for coho salmon in areas of the river where king salmon are concentrated and to cut leaders or lines to avoid stressing incidentally hooked king salmon.
  • Coho salmon fishing on the Upper Kenai River is good. Anglers are reminded that the bag and possession limit for coho salmon in the Russian River Sanctuary Area and that area of the Kenai River upstream of the Powerline near Sportsman’s Landing is one per day and one in possession and in other waters of the Upper Kenai River it is two per day and two in possession (in combination). Please refer pages 59-60 of the Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for more information.

Kasilof River

Coho salmon fishing is good. Try fishing from shore at the Crooked Creek State Recreation Site.

Resurrection Creek

Coho salmon fishing in Resurrection Creek located in Hope has been reported as slow but should improve.

Swanson River

Swanson River coho salmon sport fishing has been reported as good. Anglers should try and fish the incoming tide and high slack tide.

Russian River

  • Coho salmon fishing is good. Anglers are reminded that bag and possession limits are one per day and one in possession. Coho salmon that are removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the bag limit of the person who originally hooked the fish. You must not remove coho salmon 16 inches or longer from the water before releasing it.
  • Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden fishing is good.
  • The Russian River Recreational Area is closed to all traffic and users due to road improvements. This closure includes access to Lower Russian Lake Trailhead and the campground. Anglers and users can access the Russian River from the Russian River Ferry Service located near Sportman’s Landing. For more information, please contact the United States Forest Service at (907) 288-3178.

Personal Use

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.

Local Lakes

  • Elephant (Spirit) Lake access gate is closed at this time and will be closed through September 30.
  • Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land locked salmon should be 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.
  • Stocked lakes fishing is excellent.
  • 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.
  • Interested in recent stocking activities at lakes? Check out the ADF&G stocking database online.
  • 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-1-60-22 increases the bag and possession limit for salmon, 16 inches or longer, other than king, pink and coho salmon, from three per day and six in possession to six per day and 12 in possession, in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to an ADF&G regulatory marker located at the outlet of Skilak Lake. No more than two salmon, 16 inches or longer, per day and in possession may be coho salmon. This regulatory change is effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, July 2022 through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022.

Kasilof River

Emergency Order 2-RS-1-44-22 increases the bag and possession limit for salmon, 16 inches or longer, to six fish per and 12 in possession in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing. No more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon. This regulatory change is effective through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 2022.

Local Lakes

  • Emergency Order 2-NP-1-04-22 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey, Sevena, Union, and Derks lakes for the 2022 season.
  • Emergency Order 2-DV-1-03-22 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 2022 season.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2022 sport fishing license and king stamp! Purchase your 2022 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 2022 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

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