A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Sockeye fishing slows; silvers start to arrive

Northern Kenai Fishing Report

A Northern Kenai Fishing Report published by the State Department of Fish and Game on Thursday says sockeye salmon fishing has slowed, but some silvers are being caught.

Freshwater Fishing

The Kenai River is open for fishing for all species other than king salmon. The report says sockeye salmon fishing in the lower river “has slowed dramatically.” On the middle river, fishing “remains steady.” The sockeye bag limit from the mouth of the river upstream to Skilak Lake has dropped to three per day and six in possession.

Daily Kenai River sockeye counts from the department haven’t been updated since Friday last week, 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.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Silver salmon are being caught in the lower river with “some success.” The limit is two per day and two in possession.

The Kenai River’s late-run of king salmon, which cannot be retained or removed from the water, has as of Thursday only seen 6,400 large kings. More than 12,000 had been counted at this 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.

Russian River and the Russian River sanctuary area are open to sockeye fishing. Sockeye are “steadily arriving,” the report says. The daily limit for sockeye salmon on the Russian River and in Russian River sanctuary is three and the possession limit is six.

On the Russian River, nearly 47,000 sockeye have been counted as of Thursday in the late run.

The Kasilof River is closed to all king salmon fishing, including catch and release or for hatchery salmon. More than 1 million sockeye have been counted on the river, and the report says sockeye arrival “has slowed.”

The escapement goal for Kasilof sockeye is 140,000 to 370,000, exceeded on July 9.

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.” Spirit Lake road reopened last weekend.

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-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-KS-1-44-24 closes the Kasilof River to bait and restricts gear to single hook only through Sept. 15.

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.

More in News

Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, speaks at a town hall meeting in the Moose Pass Sportsman’s Club in Moose Pass, Alaska, on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Insurance authorization bill sponsored by Bjorkman, Ruffidge becomes law

The bill requires insurance companies and health care providers to meet new deadlines for authorizing requests for care.

A map of the Johnson Tract Mine exploration project. Photo courtesy of the Center for Biological Diversity
Inletkeeper, partners file lawsuit against Cook Inlet gold mine

The Johnson Tract Mine is located on CIRI-owned lands inside Lake Clark National Park.

A sockeye salmon is carried from the waters of Cook Inlet on North Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, during the first day of the Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai River dipnet fishery open 24 hours beginning Friday night

Per fish counts available from the department, 471,000 sockeye have been counted so far this year — with 108,000 counted on Wednesday alone.

Attorneys Eric Derleth and Dan Strigle speak to Superior Court Judge Kelly Lawson during the opening arguments of State of Alaska v. Nathan Erfurth at the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Opening arguments offered in Erfurth trial

The trial is set to continue for around two weeks, into early August.

Evacuees in Seward, Alaska, walk along Adams Street following a tsunami warning on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Tsunami warning canceled following 7.3 earthquake near Sand Point

An all clear was issued for Kachemak Bay communities at 1:48 p.m. by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management.

The Ninilchik River on May 18, 2019, in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)
Ninilchik River to remain closed to king salmon fishing

It was an “error in regulation” that would have opened the Ninilchik River to king salmon fishing on Wednesday.

A table used by parties to a case sits empty in Courtroom 4 of the Kenai Courthouse in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski woman sentenced to 4 years in prison for 2023 drug death

Lawana Barker was sentenced for her role in the 2023 death of Michael Rodgers.

Alaska State Troopers logo.
Seward resident arrested after Monday night police pursuit

Troopers say she led them on a high-speed chase on Kalifornsky Beach Road for around 7 miles.

Most Read