Alaska Department of Fish and Game

A sockeye salmon’s tail protrudes above the edge of a bin on a setnet site in this July 11, 2016 photo near Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)

Commercial fishing season slow so far, big chum harvest for drift fleet

Upper Cook Inlet’s commercial fishing season has been relatively slow so far, but it will likely pick up speed soon. The earliest commercial fishing in… Continue reading

A sockeye salmon’s tail protrudes above the edge of a bin on a setnet site in this July 11, 2016 photo near Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion, file)
Tom Lyman of Michigan holds up a sockeye salmon he caught in the Kenai River on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. Lyman, who is visiting Alaska with his son, said he hadn’t been casting for long when he hooked into the fish. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Fishing report: Some sockeye showing on Kenai, big pulse yet to come

Kenai River sockeye salmon are making their way up the river in growing numbers, though it’s still a little slow. Tom Lyman, a Michigan resident… Continue reading

Tom Lyman of Michigan holds up a sockeye salmon he caught in the Kenai River on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. Lyman, who is visiting Alaska with his son, said he hadn’t been casting for long when he hooked into the fish. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Commercial fishing season kicks off with higher prices, slow runs

Commercial fishermen in Upper Cook Inlet have been out since late June, kicking off what’s predicted to be a fairly slow sockeye salmon season. As… Continue reading

Kenai hunters required to complete moose orientation

Hunters aiming to take home some moose meat this year on the Kenai Peninsula will have to take an additional step before heading out —… Continue reading

Bait authorized for lower Kenai kings

Bait is now legal for king salmon on the Kenai River below Slikok Creek. Effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, anglers can use bait to target kings… Continue reading

Commercial fishing buoys float in the Kasilof River near the Kasilof River Lodge and Cabins on Monday, June 19, 2017 in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

State’s delay on Kasilof boat launch causes headaches for guides

At the end of a fishing day on the Kasilof River, the Russell Fishing Company guides often rope their boats together to make getting down… Continue reading

Commercial fishing buoys float in the Kasilof River near the Kasilof River Lodge and Cabins on Monday, June 19, 2017 in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
Randy McPherson and his grandson Ethan, 9, both of Wisconsin, show off their Kenai River king salmon caught Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Kenai River early-run kings have been returning in larger numbers this year as compared to the last several years, leading the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to liberalize the maximum size limit for retention from 36 inches to 46 inches on Monday. (Photo courtesy Jason Foster)

Fishing report: Russian flush with reds

Sunday morning’s opener at the confluence of the Russian River and Kenai River saw a lot of happy anglers. By midmorning, fishermen of all ages… Continue reading

Randy McPherson and his grandson Ethan, 9, both of Wisconsin, show off their Kenai River king salmon caught Tuesday, June 13, 2017. Kenai River early-run kings have been returning in larger numbers this year as compared to the last several years, leading the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to liberalize the maximum size limit for retention from 36 inches to 46 inches on Monday. (Photo courtesy Jason Foster)
Sockeye salmon caught in a set gillnet wait to be set to the a processor on July 11, 2016 near Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Fish and Game to run cost-recovery harvest to fund Anchor Point test fishery

With the loss of state funding, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is back to running a cost-recovery harvest on sockeye salmon to fund… Continue reading

Sockeye salmon caught in a set gillnet wait to be set to the a processor on July 11, 2016 near Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)
An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on Sunday, June 11, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Sunday was the first open day for the popular Russian River sockeye sportfishery, and by midmorning, anglers were packing up with their limits and heading home while many others were landing some of the bright fish, some of the first sockeye of the season on the Kenai Peninsula. As of Saturday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s weir on Lower Russian Lake had counted 1,027 fish, more than triple the count of 274 on the same day in 2016. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Photo: Reds run on the Russian River

An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on Sunday near Cooper Landing. Sunday was… Continue reading

An angler fillets his sockeye salmon caught on the Kenai River near the confluence with the Russian River on Sunday, June 11, 2017 near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Sunday was the first open day for the popular Russian River sockeye sportfishery, and by midmorning, anglers were packing up with their limits and heading home while many others were landing some of the bright fish, some of the first sockeye of the season on the Kenai Peninsula. As of Saturday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s weir on Lower Russian Lake had counted 1,027 fish, more than triple the count of 274 on the same day in 2016. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Fish and Game increases max size for early king retention

Kenai River anglers can now keep king salmon up to 46 inches long. With more king salmon coming into the river than projected, the Alaska… Continue reading

Two lucky anglers hold up king salmon they caught on Deep Creek on the lower Kenai Peninsula this weekend. (Photo courtesy Greg Harrington) Two lucky anglers hold up king salmon they caught on Deep Creek on the lower Kenai Peninsula this weekend. (Photo courtesy Greg Harrington)

Fishing report: Kings boom, Russian River opener primed

There’s one thing sportfishermen can’t stop talking about this summer: the Kenai River king salmon fishing. For the past several years, the king salmon fishing… Continue reading

Two lucky anglers hold up king salmon they caught on Deep Creek on the lower Kenai Peninsula this weekend. (Photo courtesy Greg Harrington) Two lucky anglers hold up king salmon they caught on Deep Creek on the lower Kenai Peninsula this weekend. (Photo courtesy Greg Harrington)

Copper River managers proceed cautiously after big king salmon takes

Commercial fishing managers in Prince William Sound plan to continue opening the fishery, despite concerns about low king salmon returns to the Copper River system.… Continue reading

Participants in a streambank rehabilitation workshop at the Donald E. Giman River Center unwrap bundles of felt willow to install as reinforcement along a damaged section of the Kenai River’s bank Wednesday, May 10, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. The free two-day annual workshop, hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, teaches people how to properly repair damaged fish habitat along streams in Alaska. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion) Participants in a streambank rehabilitation workshop at the Donald E. Giman River Center unwrap bundles of felt willow to install as reinforcement along a damaged section of the Kenai River’s bank Wednesday in Soldotna. The free two-day annual workshop, hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, teaches people how to properly repair damaged fish habitat along streams in Alaska. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Peninsula residents get hands-on with streambank restoration

A sunny, warm Wednesday in Soldotna found about 40 people busily digging trenches and mounting willow boughs into the banks of the Kenai River, all… Continue reading

Participants in a streambank rehabilitation workshop at the Donald E. Giman River Center unwrap bundles of felt willow to install as reinforcement along a damaged section of the Kenai River’s bank Wednesday, May 10, 2017 in Soldotna, Alaska. The free two-day annual workshop, hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, teaches people how to properly repair damaged fish habitat along streams in Alaska. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion) Participants in a streambank rehabilitation workshop at the Donald E. Giman River Center unwrap bundles of felt willow to install as reinforcement along a damaged section of the Kenai River’s bank Wednesday in Soldotna. The free two-day annual workshop, hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, teaches people how to properly repair damaged fish habitat along streams in Alaska. (Elizabeth Earl/Peninsula Clarion)