Area Sport Fishing Reports
Northern Kenai

Archived Sport Fishing Report

September 02, 2020

* Just a reminder to all our anglers, please do your part to help slow the spread of Covid-19 by following and reviewing the current State of Alaska Health Mandates in effect. This includes practicing social distancing while sport and personal use fishing and wearing a face covering when fishing and if you are needing fishing supplies from your local store as indicated in Health Alert 010.

* The Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted several proposals establishing new sport fish regulations for the Kenai River and the Northern Kenai Peninsula Area at its Anchorage February 2020 meeting. Please see the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet for a complete summary of the Kenai Peninsula sport fisheries regulations.

Emergency Orders

Please review the Emergency Orders and News Releases below in their entirety before heading out on your next fishing trip.

  • Emergency Order 2-RS-1-36-20 increases the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, 16 inches or longer, from three to six fish per day and twelve in possession in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing. No more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon. This regulation change is effective through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2020.
  • Emergency Order 2-NP-1-02-20 prohibits the retention of any species of fish in East Mackey, West Mackey, Sevena, Union, and Derks lakes for the 2020 season.
  • Emergency Order 2-DV-1-01-20 prohibits the retention of Arctic char/Dolly Varden in Stormy Lake for the 2020 season.

Freshwater Fishing

  • Kenai River coho salmon fishing is fair to good. Anglers using bait or spinners are reporting the highest success rates.
    • Incidentally hooked king salmon while fishing for other species may not be retained or possessed. King salmon caught may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately. Anglers should avoid fishing for coho salmon in areas of the river where king salmon are concentrated and to cut leaders or lines to avoid stressing incidentally hooked king salmon.
  • Russian River coho salmon, rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden fishing is good.
    • Please remember coho salmon 16 inches or longer that is removed from the water must be retained and becomes part of the bag limit (one per day/one in possession) of the person who originally hooked the fish. You must not remove a coho salmon 16 inches or longer from the water before releasing it.
    • For additional regulations for the Upper Kenai River, Sanctuary Area, and Russian River, please see pages 59-61 of the 2020 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulation Summary booklet.
  • Rainbow trout fishing on the Middle and Upper Kenai River is good.
  • Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden sport fishing on clearwater tributaries of the Kenai River is good.
  • Swanson River coho salmon sport fishing has been reported as good. Anglers should try to fish the incoming tide and high slack.

Personal Use Fishing

  • The deadline to report on your Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit was Saturday, August 15, 2020, for the Kasilof River gillnet, Kasilof, Kenai, and Susitna rivers, and Fish Creek dipnet fisheries. Participants are reminded they are required to report their harvests even if they did not fish, or if they fished but caught nothing.

Local Lakes

  • Sport Lake was stocked on August 28 with 150 catchable rainbow trout weighing 2.5 pounds and averaging 18 inches in length.
  • Lake fishing for rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling, and land locked salmon is good. Try fishing with dry or wet flies such as an egg sucking leech, bead head nymph, or mosquito pattern; small spoons and spinners size #0 or #2; or small bait under a bobber.
  • There are plenty of local lakes that provide a nice and quiet fishing opportunity in the Soldotna, Kenai, Kasilof, Cooper Landing and Moose Pass areas.
  • Stocked lakes continue to fish well! Not familiar with all the stocked lakes in the area? Check out the ADF&G brochure with locations, access, and other valuable information on Kenai Peninsula area lakes.
  • Interested in recent stocking activities at lakes? Check out the ADF&G stocking database online.

Don’t forget to bring your 2020 sport fishing license! Help maximize social distancing and purchase your 2020 sport fishing license through the ADF&G online store and print it off from the comfort of your own home. Also, make sure to review Emergency Orders and the 2020 Southcentral Sport Fishing Regulations Summary booklet for the area you are fishing before you head out.

For additional information, please contact the ADF&G Soldotna Area Office at (907) 262-9368.