Run timing and regulations on the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers can vary from year to year, but the dates below reflect what you can expect during a typical season here on the Kenai Peninsula.

 

Sockeye Salmon

We begin fishing for sockeye salmon on June 11th when the Upper Kenai opens by regulation. The opener and the couple weeks following it are typically the best time to catch those early run sockeye on the Kenai. Shortly after that, around June 20th, we start fishing for sockeye salmon on the Kasilof River. This run typically builds over the next couple weeks, with very good fishing in late June and peak fishing during the entire month of July.

Second run Kenai sockeye start a bit later, around July 10th-15th is when the first big spurt of fish hit the river, with the peak typically being from July 15th through the first week of August. Some seasons, the run draws on with excellent fishing through at least mid-August and beyond.

 

King Salmon

In the past we had excellent king salmon fishing from late May all the way through the end of July, but today we only fish for king salmon during the hatchery run on the Kasilof River, which begins during late May and continues through late June. The peak of this run usually happens from June 5th-20th, so if you have kings in your crosshairs then this is the best time to take your chances.

As a side note, in the saltwater there are opportunities to be very successful at catching king salmon, especially during the early and late part of our season. For example, September and October are great months to expect highly productive king salmon trolling in the salt waters of Kachemak Bay near Homer.

 

Silver Salmon 

Early August is the part of the season where we transition to focusing on silver salmon. The Kenai River can have good silver salmon fishing as early as August 1st, but August 10th is probably a safer bet to reliably catch silvers on a consistent basis. Silvers continue to run on the Kenai River all the way through, August, September, and October. Sometimes there is a brief pause between the first run of silver (August) and the 2nd run (September/October) around the first days of September, and other years we don’t notice a break at all. Second run September silver salmon tend to be larger, and the limits are usually higher, so the fall is an excellent time to get after these fun and delicious salmon.

The Kasilof River has one run of silver salmon, and it peaks from about August 10th through mid-September. The Kasilof is a great way to escape the crowds and catch silvers on a relaxing drift boat experience.

 

Pink Salmon 

Pink salmon run the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers in massive numbers on even years (i.e. 2026) primarily during the month of August. We start seeing pinks in the tidewater sections of both rivers during the last week of July, and they slowly but surely start working their way further up into the system over the next few weeks. By the 2nd week of August they’ve typically moved several miles out of tidewater, and by late August they’ve invaded the middle river. These fish are sometimes looked down upon, but during the first few weeks of August they are fresh and provide a lot of action & fun for everyone! There are techniques to both target and avoid pink salmon, so let us know what you prefer.

 

Rainbow Trout & Dolly Varden

Trout season opens June 11th and fishing is typically very good for about the first week or so. For late June and early July a good trout guide can certainly get you on some trout, but it’s considered our “off season” in some ways. Trout begin getting active again in mid/late July as salmon carcasses enter the system from all the sockeye being filleted and discarded. We catch a lot of big trout around fillet tables in late July and early August. By mid August the king salmon start to spawn, creating a feeding frenzy in very specific locations if you know where to look. By late August there are pink salmon, king salmon, and sockeye salmon spawning, and trout get easier to catch throughout the entire Kenai system. September is the peak of our trout fishery, and if you like catching lots of trout with some real big ones mixed in, I highly recommend you experience the Kenai trout fishery in September!

 

Combo Fishing

Keep in mind that there are parts of the season in which you can expect to fish for multiple species on the same trip! For example; in June we offer king/sockeye combo trips, and a silver/trout combo trip in September can make for quite an epic day on the water!

 

Whatever your target(s) might be, let us know and we can get you set up for high odds at success at accomplishing your Alaska fishing trip goals :)