Fishing on the Kenai River is about as diverse as the people who migrate to its shores, along with the salmon. Beginning in May with the first early run king salmon anglers are in for an unbelievable experience with very little traffic on the river. As the calendar turns to the middle of June, the first run of sockeye salmon begin to make their way to the Russian River. July brings the late run (and larger run) of king salmon along with the mind blowing second run of sockeye salmon (between 700,000 and 1,500,000 fish!). Then, in August the coho salmon begin and continue through the end of November. It is fall when the world class rainbow trout/dolly varden fishing is producing the monster trophies. On even numbered years, the Kenai River hosts 3-5 million pink salmon! During this time, it is virtually impossible to come away empty handed when fishing the Kenai in August. There are several things that make the Kenai River so appealing. First of all, it is exceedingly accessible! With a variety of state parks and federal wildlife refuge recreation areas, along with an abundance of private resorts stretched along its 100 miles of shore, there are ample opportunities to fill the freezer. An abundance of public and private boat launches are also available making the Kenai River one of the most accessible rivers in Alaska. Another thing that makes the Kenai River appealing is the sheer quantities of harvestable salmon and trout. The managers of the Kenai River are proud to boast a 100% native return of salmon. The Kenai River is a model for fisheries managers throughout the US and around the world. The Kenai River is managed for maximum sustained yield. The biologists use a variety of tools, from commercial fishing to the sport angler, to maintain this delicate balance. All of this along with management of critical habitat have been the secret to their success. Located a mere 150 road miles from Anchorage, Alaska, the Kenai River should be high on your list of excursions to Alaska. You drive through some of the most mind blowing scenery or take a short commuter flight and get a bird’s eye view of the Kenai Peninsula. The Kenai River is considered by most to be the fishing mecca of Alaska. Outline by Ed French Professional Kenai Fishing Guide.

FISHABLE TRIBUTARIES & LAKES
(CH/Chinook SS/Silver SK/Sockeye PK/Pink CH/Chum DV/Dolly RT/Rainbow GR/Grayling LT/Lake Trout NP/Pike)

• Russian River - Middle Kenai SK, SS, PK, DV, RT
• Moose River Mouth - Lower Kenai CH, SK, SS, PK, DV, RT
• Quartz Creek - Upper Kenai SK, DV, RT - closed for salmon
• Funny River Mouth - Middle Kenai CH, SK, SS, RT, DV
• Russian River Lakes 1 & 2 - requires hiking DV, RT, GR
• Kenai Lake DV, RT, LT, GR
• Skilak Lake DV, RT, LT, GR

Kenai Run Timing Chart: Coming Soon under construction.

General run timing

Jan

Feb

March

April

May

June

July

Au

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Chinook Early Run

Chinook Late Run

Sockeye Early Run

Sockeye Late Run

Silver Salmon

Pink Salmon - Even Numbered Years

Dolly Varden

Rainbow Trout

Indicates Peak Time

CONSERVATION CONTRIBUTIONS : The conservation efforts of the Kenai River drainage is a HUGE, and yet very delicate endeavor, with efforts to maintain critical riparian habitat and water quality while allowing for controlled development and continued access. The complexity of this issue is that the land ownership along the banks of the Kenai is like a patchwork quilt with ownership ranging from state, federal, private and native groups.

Presently the efforts toward conserving water quality have made great advancements. In recent years the Kenai River was classified by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation as a category 5 imparied river due to the hydrocarbon levels exceeding the 10 ppb threshold (though this only occurred a few times during the recorded years). However, beginning in 2008, new regulations have banned 2-stroke (non-DFI) motors from the Kenai River in the Kenai River Special Management Area (KRSMA) during the month of July (the time with the greatest use and the only times that the threshold was exceeded) . The KRSMA includes the Kenai River upstream from a marker at river mile 4 to, and including, Kenai Lake and Skilak Lake. Additionally, the State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game also imposed the 2-stroke ban on all personal use fishing in the lower section of the Kenai River, below the KRSMA marker. This plan is already producing favorable results in that the threshold was not exceeded during the 2008 season. Managers have also increased the allowable horsepower limit from 35 to 50.