SALMON AND TROUT FISHING.*

*The following information is subject to change by emergency orders, but will give you a good idea of the best times to target specific species on the Kenai River or Kasilof River while on your Alaska fishing trip.

Rainbow Trout/Dolly VArden

Prime Dates: June 11th-November 15th

Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden are the most sought-after catch and release sport fish in Alaska and a popular fish for Kenai River Guides to chase! Known for their fight and strength, Rainbows and Dollies are an absolute blast to pursue on guided fishing trips! Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden feed heavily on salmon eggs and flesh and can grow to Jurassic proportions! From fishing in April or May in the Spring in all the way to the end of October and through the winter can be great fishing for Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden on the Kenai River. The peak times are generally the beginning of June, dry fly fishing in July and August and the non-stop action of September and October. Want to land a big fish or trophy fish of a lifetime? Alaska has them!

sockeye/red salmon

Prime Dates: July 15th-August 10th

Truly the most important salmon species to the peninsula, Sockeye Salmon literally feed the entire system with oceanic nutrients. A migratory fish, most guided fishing trips take place on the shore, wading in shallow water as Sockeye travel very close to the shore. Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden rely on their eggs and their flesh to survive.  Sockeye are an abundant and prized delicacy. The peak for Sockeye can be as early as mid-June, but from July 15th-the first week of August is probably the single-best time to fish for Sockeye Salmon on the Kenai River or Kasilof River.

silver/coho salmon

Prime Dates: August 1st-October 31st

Hard fighting and super aggressive, the Silver Salmon, also known as Coho Salmon, will readily take a fly on the swing and flies that are cast and strip-retrieved. Silvers will also take spinners, plugs and spin-n-glos. They seemingly attack out of nowhere and are a ton of fun on the fly. Guided fishing trips are usually done via drift boat, but some shore fishing does occur.

August starts the first run of Silver Salmon, but the months of September and October bring the second run of bigger fish and more fish in general.

KING/CHINOOK SALMON

Prime Dates: May 15 - July 31st

King Salmon are the quintessential "Alaskan" Fish. The state fish of Alaska, the Chinook or King Salmon is a legendary fish that put Kenai River Guides on the map! King Salmon, also known as Chinook Salmon, can reach gigantic proportions and fight like a freight train! We offer Alaska fishing trips on the swung fly and back trolling for King Salmon. These guided fishing trips are on a first-come, first-serve basis. We strongly encourage the catch and release of wild King Salmon. There are opportunities to harvest hatchery Kings on the early first run on the Kasilof River.

Kings can be targeted as early as May, but the peak of the 2nd run is typically the 3rd week of June. July marks the return of the 2nd, larger run of fish, peaking around the 3rd week of July. The King Salmon season closes on July 31st (unless the season closes earlier per ADF&G emergency orders).

Check out our KENAI RIVER AND KASILOF RIVER FISHING CALENDAR for more information!