Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai

August 4, 2021

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing, and wearing a face-covering when social distancing is not possible, and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store.

Freshwater Fishing

Kenai River

• Lower Kenai River sockeye salmon fishing is excellent. Bag limits will be raised to six sockeye salmon per day and 12 in possession on Thursday, August 5, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. from the mouth of the Kenai River upstream to an ADF&G 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. Refer to pages 55 and 56 of the 2021 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary for maps denoting riverbank closures on the lower Kenai River. See the emergency order below for more info.
• The use of bait is prohibited. Sportfishing gear is limited to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure while sport fishing in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak.
• Resident species fishing for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden is good on the Middle, Upper, and Kenai River tributaries.

Kasilof River

• Kasilof River sockeye salmon fishing is good. Bag limits are six sockeye per day and 12 in possession; however, no more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon, in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing. Please see the emergency order below for more info.

Russian River/Upper Kenai River

• Sockeye fishing on Upper Kenai River and Russian River is excellent. Bag limits are three fish per day and six in possession in combination. Anglers are reminded that they may possess only the limit allowed for the waters they are actively fishing.

Resurrection Creek

• Pink salmon fishing is good and coho should be arriving soon at Resurrection Creek in Hope.

Personal Use Fishing

• Kasilof River dipnet fishery has been reported as good. The area open to dipnetting was expanded on
  July 3. Please refer to the emergency order below for more info. A sport fishing license and an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permits are required. No retention of king salmon is allowed. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Please see page 14 of the 2021 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet.
  • Personal Use harvest reports must be submitted online by Sunday, August 15.
• The Kenai River dipnet fishery closed on July 31. Don’t forget to submit your personal use harvest reports online by Sunday, August 15.

Local Lakes

• There are plenty of other fishing opportunities in Southcentral Alaska. This is the perfect time to visit locally stocked lakes as the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery is busy stocking fish.
• Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land locked salmon is good. 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.
• Not familiar with all the stocked lakes in the area? Check out the ADF&G brochure 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.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and News Releases below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

Kenai River

• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-53-21 increases the bag and possession limit for sockeye 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 marker located at the outlet of Skilak Lake effective 12:01 a.m. Thursday, August 5 through 11:59 p.m. Friday, December 31, 2021. No more than two coho salmon per day and in possession.
• Emergency Order 2-KS-1-51-21 prohibits the use of bait and limits sport fishing gear to one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure while sport fishing in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 15.

Kasilof River

• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-35-21 increases the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon 16 inches or longer to six fish per day and twelve in possession in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing through 11:59 p.m. Friday, December 31, 2021. No more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon.
• Emergency Order 2-RS-1-34-21 expanded the personal use salmon dipnet fishing area on the Kasilof River through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, August 7, 2021. Salmon may be harvested from the shore form ADF&G markers located on Cook Inlet beaches outside the terminus of the river upstream to the Sterling Highway Bridge. Salmon may be harvested from a boat from the ADF&G markers located on Cook Inlet beaches outside the terminus of the river upstream to ADF&G markers placed at approximately river mile 3.

Kenai Peninsula Lakes

• Emergency Order 2-NP-1-02-21 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey, Sevena, Union, and Derks lakes for the 2021 season.
• Emergency Order 2-DV-1-01-21 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake for the 2021 season.

Don’t forget to purchase your 2021 sport fishing license and king stamp! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2021 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 and the 2021 Southcentral 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.