Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Desiree Campos (left) and Eddie Perez (right) gut the sockeye salmon they caught in their personal use gillnet off the Kasilof River's south beach on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. The personal use gillnet fishery opened at 6 a.m. June 15 and will be open until 11 p.m. June 24.

Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion Desiree Campos (left) and Eddie Perez (right) gut the sockeye salmon they caught in their personal use gillnet off the Kasilof River's south beach on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. The personal use gillnet fishery opened at 6 a.m. June 15 and will be open until 11 p.m. June 24.

Early-run Kenai kings pass lower end of escapement goal

Fishermen flocked to the mouth of the Kasilof River Wednesday morning for the opening of the personal use gillnet fishery.

Rows upon rows of camping tents lined the southern beach of the Kasilof River mouth Wednesday. Those tending their gillnets hauled in sockeye salmon by midmorning, while those on the north beach prepared to haul theirs out when the tide came in.

The fishery opened at 6 a.m. with fewer restrictions than in previous years thanks to more king salmon entering the Kenai River. By Monday, the king salmon sonar in the river had counted 6,080 fish, exceeding the lower limit of the escapement goal and about 100 fish less than the total cumulative count for 2015’s early run.

The river has been open to catch-and-release only since June 4, and though participation was weak at first, it’s picked up a little. Surveyors from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game found catch rates were excellent on the lower river this weekend, said Jason Pawluk, the assistant area biologist for the Division of Sport Fish in Soldotna.

“There are still not a lot of people out there compared to what it could be this time of year,” Pawluk said.

Because the king run seems to be larger than in previous years, the department is considering opening up additional fishing opportunity on the Kenai River for retention, he said.

Kings are still running on the Kasilof as well, though the run seems to have slowed down. Catch rates were high in late May and early June; though guides and private anglers are still able to land kings, they are fewer, said Ken Lacy, the owner of Ken’s Alaskan Tackle in Soldotna.

“The Kasilof River has been staying consistently fair,” Lacy said.

This weekend is the final weekend for king salmon fishing on the Anchor River on the lower Kenai Peninsula, though it will be open on Wednesday, June 22 as well. The Anchor River, Ninilchik River and Deep Creek have been seeing good runs of small king salmon with good success, Lacy said.

The lakes on the peninsula are consistently producing, and halibut fishing has been good, Lacy said. Some people fish for halibut near the mouths of the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, catching somewhat small halibut there, he said.

“They’re catching up to 25 pounders right off the beach,” he said.

On the upper Kenai River, rainbow fishing opened last weekend as well. It was generally fair at the beginning of Saturday, but as participation picked up, it slowed down, which is typical, Pawluk said. Rainbow trout are fairly consistently available.

The Russian River early run of sockeye is now making its way into the river, but so far the numbers are fewer than last year’s run at this time. The fishery on the upper Kenai River opened for sockeye fishing near the Russian River confluence last weekend, but many said the fishing was relatively slow, Pawluk said.

It remains to be seen whether the run is later or actually smaller than last year’s run, he said.

“Next weekend is probably going to be better,” Pawluk said. “The peak could be a week or two from now.”

The Swanson River and Bishop Creek drainages opened for fishing Wednesday. On the Swanson River, anglers can use bait, fish for salmon and retain rainbow trout, with a bag limit of five per day and five in possession, though only one can be 20 inches or longer. Bishop Creek is closed year-round to salmon fishing, but the other general regulations for the Kenai Peninsula apply.

In Seward, the Resurrection River downstream of the Seward Highway and Nash Road will open on June 16 with unbaited, single-hook, artificial lures only. Sockeye have been reported in good numbers in the area.

In the saltwater, halibut fishing is reportedly good near Resurrection Bay. The Seward halibut derby began June 1 and runs throughout the month of June; the largest reported fish so far is 179.8 pounds, according to the weekly sportfishing report for the area. As the weather improves, more halibut are likely to move into Resurrection Bay.

Some king salmon have been caught from shore in Resurrection Bay near the outfall of Seward Lagoon. The Seward Lagoon will host a youth-only fishery this weekend for anglers 15 years old or younger; fishing for all other species will be closed.

 

Reach Elizabeth Earl at elizabeth.earl@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

Kenai Middle School Principal Vaughn Dosko points out elements of a redesign plan for the front of the school on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Work soon to begin on Kenai Middle security upgrades

The security upgrades are among several key KPBSD maintenance projects included in a bond approved by borough voters in October 2022.

The Kenai Fire Department headquarters are photographed on Feb. 13, 2018, in Kenai, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion file)
Kenai adds funds, authorizes contract for study of emergency services facility

The building shared by Kenai’s police and fire departments hasn’t kept up with the needs of both departments, chief says.

Kenai Parks and Recreation Director Tyler Best shows off a new inclusive seesaw at Kenai Municipal Park in Kenai, Alaska, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai awards contract to develop Parks and Rec master plan

The document is expected to guide the next 20 years of outdoors and recreation development in the city.

Balancing Act’s homepage for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget. (Screenshot)
KPBSD launches ‘Balancing Act’ software, calls for public to balance $17 million deficit

The district and other education advocates have said that the base student allocation has failed to keep up with inflation.

Natural gas processing equipment is seen at Furie Operating Alaska’s central processing facility in Nikiski, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Harvest Alaska announces proposed redevelopment of Kenai LNG terminal

The project could deliver additional natural gas supplies to the Southcentral market as early as 2026, developers said.

A depth marker is almost entirely subsumed by the waters of the Kenai River in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
After delay, borough adopts updated flood insurance maps

The assembly had previously postponed the legislation amid outcry from the Kenai River Keys Property Owners Association.

Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche points to where the disconnected baler ram has bent piping at the Central Peninsula Landfill in Soldotna, Alaska, on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough approves federal request to fund recycling redesign

A large baler that was used for recycling was recently left inoperable by a catastrophic failure in its main ram.

A person is detained in Anchorage in recent days by officials from the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (FBI Anchorage Field Office photo)
Trump’s immigration raids arrive in Alaska, while Coast Guard in state help deportations at southern US border

Anchorage arrests touted by FBI, DEA; Coast Guard plane from Kodiak part of “alien expulsion flight operations.”

Jamiann S’eiltin Hasselquist asks participants to kneel as a gesture to “stay grounded in the community” during a protest in front of the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday focused on President Donald Trump’s actions since the beginning of his second term. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Trump protest rally at Alaska State Capitol targets Nazi-like salutes, challenges to Native rights

More than 120 people show up as part of nationwide protest to actions during onset of Trump’s second term.

Most Read