A Northern Kenai Fishing Report published by the State Department of Fish and Game on Thursday, dated for Wednesday, says that silver salmon are being caught with “moderate success,” though recent emergency orders limit harvest to one per day until Sunday.
Freshwater Fishing
The Kenai River is open for fishing for all species other than king salmon. The sockeye bag limit from the mouth of the river upstream to Skilak Lake has dropped to three per day and six in possession. Bait is allowed from the river’s mouth to the regulatory markers at Moose River. Bait is prohibited upstream of the marker at Moose River.
Daily Kenai River sockeye counts from the department haven’t been updated since Aug. 9. At that time, over 1.9 million sockeye salmon had been counted by sonar on the Kenai River during the late run. The escapement goal for the species on the river is 750,000 to 1.3 million and has been exceeded.
Silver salmon are being caught in the lower river with “moderate success.” The limit is one per day until Sept. 1 by emergency order.
Daily counts for Kenai River’s late-run of king salmon, which cannot be retained or removed from the water, haven’t been updated since Aug. 19, when sonar had counted only 6,600 large kings. Over 13,000 had been counted at that time last year. This year’s count is also far below the optimal escapement goal for the species of 15,000 to 30,000 fish.
The Kasilof River is closed to all king salmon fishing, including catch and release or for hatchery salmon.
Saltwater Fishing
Fishers are “continuing to have success” shore fishing for both halibut and cod at local beaches, the report says.
Local Lakes
Fishing on local lakes “has been good.”
Emergency Orders
Please review the emergency orders and advisory announcements below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.
NEW: Emergency Order 2-SS-1-55-24 reduces the limit for coho salmon in the Kenai River to a bag and possession of one fish, effective Saturday, Aug. 24 through Friday, Aug. 31; and a bag and possession of two coho salmon Sunday, Sept. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 30.
NEW: Emergency Order 2-KS-1-54-24 supersedes EO 2-KS-1-44-24 issued Wednesday, July 31, and allows one baited, single hook or single-hook, artificial lure while sport fishing in the Kasilof River from its mouth upstream to the downstream side of the Sterling Highway Bridge. In addition, from the Sterling Highway Bridge upstream to Tustumena Lake, only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure may be used.
Emergency Order 2-KS-1-50-24 restricts sport fishing gear to one single-hook while sport fishing in the Kenai River from its mouth upstream to ADF&G regulatory markers at the Moose River confluence through Aug. 31.
Emergency Order 2-RS-1-27-24 order increases the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, 16 inches or longer, to six fish per day and 12 in possession in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing.
The 2024 sport fishing license can be purchased through the Alaska Department of Fish and game mobile app, or at their website, adfg.alaska.gov.
