In fishing, success is mainly a matter of being in the right location at the right time, and with your line in the water.
While this may sound easy, it's not. Salmon are migratory.
In Kenai Peninsula waters, most salmon have spent anywhere from one to five years at sea and are migrating toward their natal streams to spawn.
Some years they return early. However, other years they return late. A run's peak can vary by as much as two weeks.
Salmon headed for Cook Inlet streams can be caught in saltwater and fresh water. King (chinook) salmon are the first to enter the saltwater fishery, entering Deep Creek in early May.
By late May, they are entering peninsula streams, including Deep Creek, the Kenai, Kasilof, Anchor and Ninilchik rivers and the Homer Spit lagoon.
A "late" run of kings re-turns to the Kenai and Kasi-lof rivers in July.
|
For up-to-date fishing information, call the Department of Fish and Game's Sport Fisheries Information lines in Soldotna at 262-2737, in Homer at 235-6930 and in Seward at 267-2501.
|
At Seward, in Resurrec-tion Bay, all salmon fishing occurs in saltwater. Kings show up off the beach in early June, and the fishery usually lasts two or three weeks.
The second salmon run of the season is the early run of Russian River sockeye sal-mon (reds).
Most fishing for this run occurs near the confluence of the Kenai and Russian rivers.
The run shows up there in mid-June and good fishing usually continues through mid-July.
A later run of reds enters the Kenai in fishable numbers in early July. Fishing occurs throughout the Kenai River for this late run, which peaks in the lower river during about the third week in July.
Pink (humpback) salmon return to the Kenai toward the end of July, at about the same time the early silvers (cohos) return.
A large run is expected this year. Pinks also return to many other streams on the peninsula, and often are caught in saltwater.
Silver salmon arrive last, showing up in saltwater catches in mid-July. They arrive at the lower reaches of their natal streams about two weeks later. The Kenai gets a late run of silvers that provides good fishing through September.
In Resurrection Bay, silvers usually return to the outer bay in early July. By the end of July, some will have moved up the bay to Seward. The bay often provides good silver fishing into September.
The marine waters of the peninsula hold halibut and other species. Halibut are in peninsula waters from spring through fall.
Charter boats operate out of Homer, Seward, Ninilchik and Anchor Point.
The Department of Fish and Game at 43961 Kali-fornsky Beach Road in Sol-dotna has free pamphlets for all Kenai Peninsula sport fisheries.
Or visit Fish and Game on the Web. For up-to-date fishing information call their Sport Fisheries Information.
For the Soldotna area, call 262-2737.
For the Homer area, call 235-6930. For the Seward area, call 267-2501.
