Kenai Fishing Season Information

King Salmon

The Kenai is home to the world's largest salmon with the record weighing in at 97.4 lbs.  There are two runs of Kenai Kings entering the river.  The first run starts in late may and runs till the end of June.  The second run (which holds the most number of fish) starts late June and ends July 31^st unless ADF&G opens it for another week. The King bag limit is one per day or two for the season on the Kenai.  These fish are not abundant as they used to be so ask about the “Release A Hog Program”.

Red Salmon

Red salmon are my favorite fish to fight on the Kenai River.  They are the most abundant salmon that runs through every year.  Red salmon weigh 4-8 pounds.  Since there are some many fish swimming up to spawn a hook with any color yarn works well.  The “Kenai Twitch” is the preferred fishing technique.  Fly rods are my favorite rod of choice, although spinning outfits work well. The yearly average during of Reds swimming into the Kenai ranges from 500,000 to 1.5 million and can last for several weeks.  August is peak fishing for them.

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout are famous for being acrobats and powerful fighters when hooked. They often take to the air during unrelenting battles with exuberant anglers.  As beautiful as they are aggressive, rainbows are named for their vibrant side colors of reddish-pink and silver. 

Dolly Varden

Dolly Varden, like the rainbow trout, are members of the family 'Salmonidae.'  Dollys can reach sizes of 12 pounds or more and are know for putting up lively fights. They are distinguished from most trout and salmon due to their light spots on their sides, which are usually black spotted or speckled.