Theres no better time to be on the Kenai Peninsula than July and August, and most of those that spent time on the Kenai or Kasilof in the past few weeks have found their fish! The second run of sockeye salmon are making their way up the Kenai and Kasilof River systems, albeit a little later than normal on the Kenai. It will be time to start following the fish up the river going forward, with strong fishing expected through the first week or two of August. The kings have made a strong return to the Kenai River as well this summer, much better than the past few years, which has made for some great fishing as well.
The coho salmon will be hitting the rivers here in fishable quantities over the first few weeks of August as well! If the silver runs are anything like the last couple of years, then we're all in for a treat! Try casting bright leeches and streamers into eddies & strip back slowly. If a Coho grabs ahold be ready to clear your line and your knuckles!
Kasilof River
The Kasilof River king fishery also saw a drastic improvement over last season, and despite almost perpetual netting at the river's mouth, good numbers of Kings were able to make their way into the system providing good fishing on this quiet and underrated watershed. The biggest surprise on the Kasilof has been the incredible sockeye run! The high tides are STILL bringing massive numbers of sockeye each day and savvy anglers have enjoyed big time sockeye success since mid June! Grab a good bank and start hitting those sockeye!
Middle & Lower Kenai
It has been a surprising July, with a strong run of King salmon, and fishing for them on the Kenai River wasn't half bad
If you look at the sonar counts you will see that numbers are improving from the last couple of years. However, let's not get too excited and go kill every fish in the river. Keep in mind that the average size of Kenai King salmon is still down considerably, and we are projected to hit the LOW-end of the escapement goal for 2015 second run. With all that being said, King fishing has been good for the last couple weeks of the season, and it's great to see things on the upswing! Let's hope that trend continues into next King season! This off-season as you begin to dream about king salmon fishing next season, please consider being conservation minded and releasing those big kings. The river appreciates it! Sockeye salmon are in by the droves and the one or two (or a hundred) of your closest friends and fishing buddies have realized this. The river is bustling once again and if you are looking for a good shoreline to chase some reds around on you better be getting up very early! That being said the numbers have been great with angler finding their limits on a regular basis. ADFG just bumped up the daily bag limit to 6 fish starting Wednesday the 29th, so expect the crowds to continue!
In regards to trout and the elusive dolly varden, the numbers have been great. Clean water with water temperatures getting into the mid-fifties is keeping the resident species happy while the sockeye anglers feed them a steady flow of protein from their salmon carcasses. Fish during the peak of the sockeye run can be a bit weary though as there seems to be lead weights raining down on their heads around every turn. Find a safe place away from sockeye anglers and youll often find some trout! The king spawn will start soon, so get your big beads ready! But for now, stick to the flesh game!
Upper Kenai
This has been an unusual July for the Upper Kenai. The water flow is currently 5,540 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is about 1,000 cfs below average for this time of year. Moderate weather and minimal rainfall have been keeping the trout pretty happy these last couple weeks. While the bite varies day-to-day, consistent success can be had on micro flesh patterns fished on eddy seams and deeper pools, while the old standby 6-8mm bead is a great searching pattern. We've seen a number of King Salmon surfacing, which means there should be a good King Spawn bite in another week or two. Gear up with some big beads and hang on tight - it's about to happen! Sockeye salmon fishing has been poor to fair throughout the month with the downturn due to being just between runs. While anglers near the Russian River confluence have had moderate success, the big push of late run fish has yet to materialize in Cooper Landing. We're expecting them any day now, as the mouth of the river at Skilak Lake is boiling with sockeye, and the Sonar numbers are consistently in the tens of thousands.
On the Russian River, fishing has been fair to good for sockeye, especially if you're in the right place at the right time. The trout scene has been decent and should continue to improve as the majority of salmon get past the lower stretch of the river and the trout get comfortable again. Fish those flesh flies and try swinging small baitfish or sculpin imitations later in the evening when the sun is off the water!
Summary
July has come to a close, but many fishing opportunities remain with sockeye in the river in full force, the trout bite turning on, king salmon fishing coming to a close, and silvers on the way! So get out there and get a line wet!
Fishing report compiled by Brendyn Shiflea of Pretty Fly For a White Guy with in river action reports and pictures submitted by guides Lee Kuepper of Alaskas Angling Addiction, Mark Wackler of Fishology Alaska, and Brian Kaferstein of Alaska Wildland Adventures. All are current or past board members of the Kenai Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
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