ABOUT THE KENAI RIVER, ALASKA
The kenai river is known FOR world-class rainbow trout, dolly varden and salmon fishing. the kenai OFFERS year-round opportunities FOR ALASKA FISHING TRIPS.
tHE KENAI RIVER
The Kenai River is the most popular river in Alaska. It supports upwards of 34 different fish species. The Kenai has four runs of salmon species: King, Sockeye, Pink and Silver Salmon. The Kenai also has trophy Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden which can reach over 30" in length! This makes the Kenai a fishing mecca for anglers from all over the world
The Kenai River is home to the world record Chinook Salmon weighing in at over 97 lbs. Chinooks on the Kenai River can weigh upwards of 50-85lbs. The Kenai is a popular guided fishing destination because of world-record Chinook Salmon.
4 Communities call the Kenai River home: Cooper Landing, Sterling, Soldotna and Kenai. Each has its own special relationship with the Kenai River.
Fish the Kenai River with Cooper Landing Fishing Guide, LLC today!
UPPER KENAI RIVER
The Upper Kenai starts at river mile 82 and ends at river mile 65 at the end of Kenai Lake. Kenai Lake is large, glacially-fed and is 22 miles in length. Cooper Landing is the home to Kenai Lake and the start of the Upper River.
The Upper section is "Drift Only" and is approximately 17 miles in length. This section and tributaries provide important spawning and rearing habitat for Salmon. Kings, Silvers, Sockeye, Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden all spawn here.
Public Access and popular meeting points along the Sterling Highway include:
Highway Mile 48.4 - The Cooper Landing State Recreation Site and Boat Launch
Highway Mile 51- Cooper Creek Campground
Highway Mile 52.5 - Russian River Campground
Highway Mile 55 - Sportsman Landing and Russian River Ferry
Highway Mile 58- Jim's Landing
Fishing spots on the Upper Kenai River in Cooper Landing can be tough to access on foot. High summer water flows make wading difficult. Therefore, it is advisable to hire a fishing guide. Our guide service uses 20' drift boats designed to navigate the swift, cold waters of the Kenai. Most guided fishing trips will be fly fishing utilizing a very easy "indicator nymphing" technique. Fly fishing with this technique is very easy to learn and a lot of fun! Our guides are experts at teaching fly fishing techniques to help you catch more fish!
MIDDLE KENAI RIVER
The Middle Kenai River stretches from the outlet of Skilak Lake to the bridge in Soldotna (River Mile 50-21). The “Middle” is home to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. It is wider, deeper and a bit slower than the Upper river.
The Middle Kenai Refuge is a great place to see lots of wildlife in a pristine setting. Anglers can see Brown Bears, Black Bears, Wolves, Coyotes, Moose, Lynx, Loons, Ducks, Swans, Bald Eagles, Otters, Beavers and Harbor Seals!
The bottom of the river here is different as well. It holds huge amounts of smaller gravel. This is ideal for salmon and trout spawning. Small gravel and good habitat for young fish, is great for big rainbow trout and dolly varden. It is also great for healthy runs of pacific salmon to grow!
The Middle Kenai River is known around the world for its "Jurassic" Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden. These legendary fish gorge themselves on salmon eggs and salmon flesh. Tens of thousands of salmon spawn and die in the middle river. Our healthy runs of Sockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon & Pink Salmon use the Middle Kenai River to spawn. It is also great habitat for their young. A good number of King Salmon also spawn in this section as well.
We offer full day and half day guided fishing trips on the Middle Kenai River. These trips include:
Trophy Trout Fishing all year
Sockeye Salmon in July and early August
Silver Salmon in August, September and October
Combo Trout/Salmon trips all summer (if available)
Our Kenai River Fishing Guides launch our drift boat or power drifter from Lower Skilak Lake in Sterling, AK. We run about 10-25 minutes across Skilak Lake which becomes the Middle Kenai River. These fishing trips on the Middle Kenai River can be very successful for Salmon or Trout anglers.
We also launch at Bing’s Landing and Dot’s Fish Camp on the middle with our power drifter. Our power drifter gives us quick access to prime fishing spots. Weather and fishing conditions will determine where we launch our boat on a particular day.
Early season fishing on the middle offers anglers the opportunity to target large Rainbow Trout after their spawn. The use of motors in the refuge section this time of year is prohibited. This gives undisturbed access by drift boats. Spring can be magical as you can feel like you have all the trophy trout and river to yourself!
Later in July (after the 15th) the second run of Sockeye Salmon is starting to hit the middle in good numbers. There are lots and lots of bank access sites on this stretch that are ideal for Sockeye fishing. This section can quite busy at times during Sockeye. But, the fish are always fresh, chrome and moving through in good numbers. If you want a limit of Sockeye, the Middle Kenai River can be great from July 15th through the first week of August.
Once King Salmon and Sockeye Salmon begin to spawn in late-August, the trout fishing picks back up again on the Middle. The “bead bite” as it is referred to, is a great time to not only catch dozens of trout and dollies, it is also an excellent time to try to catch the biggest Rainbow of your life - and sometimes a few of them on one trip!
When August turns into September, Silver salmon begin to hit their peak and the middle turns into one of the best stretches of rive to catch chrome Silvers. This 1-2 punch of trout and silvers is probably the best combo trip we offer and some say makes for the best time to fish on the middle river and in Alaska.
As Sockeye, Kings and in even years, Pink Salmon die off, their flesh becomes a huge source of food for trout in October and much of the winter. We offer October and even fish during the winter on this stretch of river. Dead drifting egg and flesh patterns is a great way to catch trout on a fly rod this time of year. Another popular method, spey fishing with 2 handed fly rods is gaining popularity on the middle with veteran anglers.
All season long, anglers can find plenty of wonderful fishing opportunities along the Middle and frankly, that is why this is one of our favorite stretches of the entire river.
Middle Kenai River BOAT LAUNCHES & PUBLIC ACCESS POINTS
STERLING HIGHWAY MILE MARKER 79 - Bing's Landing State Recreation Site and Boat Launch
CITY OF SOLDOTNA BOAT ACCESS - Swiftwater Park, Campground and Boat Launch
Funny River State Recreation Site and Campground
STERLING HIGHWAY MILE MARKERS 80-88 - Morgan's Landing State Recreation Area, Campground and Alaska State Parks Kenai Area Headquarters
STERLING HIGHWAY MILE MARKER 81 - Izaak Walton State Recreation Site, Campground and Boat Launch
LOWER KENAI RIVER
The Legend of the Kenai River: On May 17, 1985 Les Anderson put the Kenai River on the map. Les landed the world-record King Salmon at 97 lb 4 oz. His record still stands and may never be broken.
Thousands of anglers have flocked to the Kenai since Les broke the Kenai River King Salmon record.
The Lower Kenai begins at the bridge in downtown Soldotna. This stretch of river is where the Kenai gained its worldwide fame. The world record King Salmon was caught in this stretch of water by Les Anderson in 1985. Les landed a giant King Salmon that weighed 97 lbs 4 ozs. His record still stands and will most likely never be broken.
The Lower is known mostly for Salmon fishing. It is now gaining fame for Trophy Rainbow Trout fishing. The Lower Kenai River has lots of spawning salmon. This provides a great food supply for trout. The water on this stretch is big and tough to fish, but astute fishing guides know how put you on fish!
Check out our KENAI RIVER AND KASILOF RIVER FISHING CALENDAR for more information! Learn more about our Kenai River Fishing Guide business today.