Alaska Fishing News and Reports
Alaska Fisheries News
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fishing reports during the fishing season
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fishing forecasts
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articles related specifically to the Kenai Peninsula and Cook Inlet
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Alaska
Fishing Reports
Alaska
Fishing Report: Aug 20-Sept 7
Kenai
River:
The
early run of Kenai silver salmon has definitely passed through the system
as of the last week. Other than a brief peak in this fishery during
the second and third week of the month, the run was average at best
with most days conceding limits but with a fair amount of effort involved.
As of early September, only small pulses of late run silver salmon were
being reported in the lower river but the fish that are arriving now
are large, very bright and hard fighting. The numbers of late run silver
salmon should steadily increase in the next week to ten days and we
should see good fishing well into October. Trout fishing on the Kenai
River both above and below Skilak Lake has been excellent. The trout
below Skilak are finding well presented single egg patterns tough to
resist as they go on their annual fall feeding frenzy in anticipation
for the long winter ahead. Trout fishing should only improve as water
levels recede and we get deeper into the fall season.
Remote
Fisheries:
Crescent
Lake continues to be the most viable late season fly out option with
Fresh silver salmon available and abundant sea run dollies providing
very consistent action. We have had only a handful of trips still traveling
by float plane this late in the season but those still fishing are doing
very well at this location. A recent trip to Big River Lake revealed
the vast majority of the silvers had moved into their spawning habitat
and are turning color. Very few keepable, fresh silvers are still available
in any of the West Cook Inlet drainages.
Alaska
Fishing Report: August 20, 2007
This
report will briefly cover the past month of fishing here on the Kenai
and beyond. The gap in coverage is largely due to our very busy season
and simply the lack of necessary time needed to post. We apologize for
the delay….
Kenai
River
The
2007 late run of Kenai king salmon ended with a fizzle rather than the
bang of the past two seasons. Extensive commercial netting for sockeye
salmon in Cook Inlet unfortunately curtailed any major pushes of Kenai
kings into the lower river despite what seemed to be fabricated sonar
counts that indicated otherwise. Talking to any professional guide that
was on the river in the last week to ten days of July, you will hear
the same story, disappointing fishing success. While there were some
nice fish available and our guides did have some very good days, overall
the run failed to yield the easy and “good ol’ days”
angling that we have become accustomed to during the peak of the late
run. Again, far more aggressive commercial netting for sockeye in Cook
Inlet surely increased the by-catch of trophy Kenai kings and rather
than making it into the river to spawn they were unfortunately killed
in both set and drift gill nets. Hopefully this unfortunate occurrence
will come to light in this winters Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting
which will take its customary triennial look at Cook Inlet management
plans. I highly encourage anyone with any concern for our genetically
unique Kenai King salmon to participate in this important process either
in person or with written testimony to the board. Information regarding
upcoming meetings and testimony can be found via the ADF&G Boards
Support page: http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/
The
late run of Kenai river sockeye was nowhere near as prolific as the
past two seasons. Last year the run was late and ADF&G closed the
river for sockeye fishing and severely limited commercial fishing until
late July when a large very concentrated push of fish finally hit the
river. This late push continued well into August yielding excessive
numbers and excellent fishing well into the month. This sockeye closure
also proved to be an incidental blessing for late run king salmon as
with no commercial nets, king fishing in the lower Kenai was as good
as we have seen it in several seasons. As previously mentioned, this
was far from the case this year as the sockeye escapement goal was closely
monitored and barely achieved with back to back commercial openings
and therefore only sporadic and limited bursts of sockeye made it into
the river at any given time. The fishing was still good for those with
patience and persistence but it was not the best sockeye return we have
seen by any means. The more regular commercial netting also took a huge
chunk out of our early arriving silver salmon and fishing for silvers
did not materialize until the nets were removed around the 10th of August.
We are now seeing decent but not sporadic fishing for early run Kenai
river silvers with some days being very good and other being just OK.
This run should continue to build over the next week to ten days and
fishing success should become more consistent over this time period.
Fishing for Kenai River rainbow trout and dolly varden has been very
good. Good numbers of larger fish have begun to concentrate in the section
of river below Skilak Lake and angling success for these resident fish
has been excellent. This should only continue to get better as the kings
and sockeye set up and begin to spawn.
Remote
fisheries:
Our
remote fishing for silver salmon got off to a somewhat slow start in
late July but quickly picked up steam in the first week of August. All
remote locations have seen very good numbers of silver salmon including
Big River Lake, the Kustatan, Buchatna Creek and the Chuit River. We
have been fishing one or more of these locations daily and have seen
excellent fishing with limit catches being the rule. These locations
should continue to provide very good action into the final days of August
and even early September.
Alaska
Fishing Report: July 16, 2007
The
end of June saw small bursts of decent king salmon fishing but the transition
between early and late run Kenai King salmon was definitely apparent.
Some years the two runs overlap and fishing remains quite consistent
but this season there was definitely a lull in the action as the early
run moved on to it’s spawning grounds and the late run began to
trickle in from Cook Inlet. Now as of July 16, we still have not seen
any major pushes of late run kings in the Kenai River although we are
catching kings daily. Our boats are taking from 1-4 kings per day but
the average size of the fish is smaller than we typically see for July.
Many of the fish we are taking are in the 15-25lb. range indicating
the fish may be late arriving early run kings or that these are simply
scouts of the late run and the larger fish have yet to arrive. Expectations
are high for the coming week as counts did ramp up over the weekend
and it is definitely time for the late run to make a good showing in
the lower river. The late run sockeye have also failed to arrive in
any numbers yet but reports of large schools in Cook Inlet indicate
they are headed this way. Counts have been from 2,000-6,000 per day
this last week and this is a mere trickle compared to the 20,000 plus
per day needed to make the fishing worthwhile. Again, expectations for
the coming week remain high as we should see both the kings and the
sockeye numbers bump up considerably.
Trout
fishing on the Kenai River has been nothing short of remarkable with
100+ fish days being the rule. A number of fish approaching 30+ inches
have also been landed and for sheer action, this catch and release fishery
remains on the top of the list.
Remote
fly outs:
Sockeye
fishing at Big River Lake and Wolverine Creek remains very good. There
are still great numbers of fresh sockeye in the cove and lots of bears
to watch as well. Silver salmon have also hit on the west side of Cook
Inlet and reports from the Kustatan indicate limit fishing is occurring
daily. There are also some silver already being caught in Big River
Lake.
Fishing
Report: June 23, 2007
Kenai/Kasilof
The
Kenai River came up considerably in the last week after a spell of hot
weather resulted in snow and glacial melt. The river held its color
despite rising daily until late in the week when it became too dirty
to fish effectively. Late Thursday through mid day Saturday saw less
than optimal water conditions and less productive fishing as the river
was more of a cloudy grey than its typical turquoise green. On Saturday
afternoon after a day of clouds and cooler weather, the Kenai finally
regained a slight hue of green, though fishing remained far lass productive
than earlier in the week. The majority of the early run kings seemed
to have moved upriver with the higher water and the numbers of fish
entering the mouth remains lower (200-400 fish daily). The fish appear
to be moving very fast in the higher water and this has definitely hampered
fishing success. Nonetheless, a fair number of king are still being
caught daily with most boats landing 2-5 fish per day. The early run
should remain on the decline and we should begin to see the first scouts
of the late run arriving soon. July is just around the corner.
On
the Kasilof, king fishing remains fair even though we are past the historical
peak for the early run fishery. Boats are still averaging 2-7 kings
per day but this likely will not last as again this run typically is
past its peak by this time in June and will very likely see a dip in
the action before the late run kings arrive in mid to late July.
Remote
fisheries
Big
River Lake and Wolverine Creek are producing limit catches of red salmon
daily as the first waves of fish to this location seemed to be very
strong. A number of sockeye have already entered the creek itself but
many still remain in the cove at the mouth of Wolverine and new fish
are arriving daily. Bears have been seen on a regular basis although
so far this season it has been more black than brown bears.
The
Chuitna has plenty of kings in the system but low clear water has them
off the bite. Recent cloudy weather and rain will likely improve this
location considerably before the widow for the fishery passes July 1.
Mark's
Fishing report, June 15, 2007
Kenai
/ Kasilof
The
Kenai River is now maintaining a consistent turquoise green color and
with the use of bait beginning Tuesday, fishing success has also become
more steady. Catch rates are considered fair to good with most boats
landing multiple fish per trip. The river has a large number of smaller
jack salmon (kings from 5 -15lbs) present and these are providing great
action between hook-ups with larger kings. Our boats have been releasing
a fair number of fish that are over the 44 inch slot range but there
are also plenty of nice 25-40 lb. fish that are beneath the slot and
perfect for those wanting to take a fish home. Sonar counts still remain
good but have declined since the spike of over 1000 fish on June 8.
The run should remain strong into late June before numbers of late run
kings begin to enter the system. As long as the river holds its color
and the fish counts continue to be above 500 fish per day, good fishing
for Kenai king salmon can be expected.
For
recent sonar data, please see:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/escapement/html/
Trout
fishing on the Kenai opened this week with fair results below Skilak
Lake. The number of fish has been quite good with anglers landing 15-30
fish individually per trip. Many rainbows are still completing their
spring spawn so some are displaying vivid coloration but many have chromed
back up and look bright and very healthy. This fishery will only continue
to produce great fishing until its season peak in the fall.
The
Russian River is seeing good numbers of sockeye salmon and these fish
can be seen splashing along the edges of the main stem Kenai on a regular
basis. Reports from those fishing the Russian itself have been very
positive with limit catches from the confluence up to the falls. Those
willing to walk well upriver from where the Russian meets the Kenai
are finding plenty of fish and far less people.
On
the Kasilof, the number of fish entering on the tides has begun to wane
although there does seem to be more fish in the holes upriver and action
remains fair. We are past the seasonal peak for this run so one should
expect this fishery to taper off over the next week to ten days. The
ratio of “natural” or wild fish to hatchery fish seems to
be at least 50/50 with good numbers of both fish currently in the system.
Water levels are rising fast with our recent dose of warm, sunny weather.
Remote
fisheries:
The
Chuit is quite low for this time in June but good numbers of king salmon
are available. The fishing is only considered fair with anglers landing
1-5 fish per rod, per day. The clarity of the river is holding steady
so although it is on the low side, the fish are still biting good and
are not too spooked by super clear flows that can sometimes dampen the
fishing on this small remote river. We have enjoyed exclusive access
to some of the river’s prime holding water with the helicopter
and even though the number of fish has not been excessive, our trips
have been quite successful. When and if the river rises and more kings
push upriver from tide water, the fishing should improve dramatically.
On
Big River Lake and Wolverine Creek, good numbers of sockeye are now
entering Redoubt bay and the mouth of the creek and fishing had been
good. We are also starting to see bears arrive and this has made for
some excellent viewing opportunities to go along with limit catches
of red salmon. This run should only get better and better into July
before the much anticipated run of silver salmon arrives.
Mark's
Fishing report, June 9, 2007
Kenai
/ Kasilof
The
Kenai River finally regained its emerald green color late Friday and
intro Saturday and fishing was again possible. Success rates varied
river-wide but there was some decent action for a handful of guides
ands lucky anglers. Despite excellent fish counts, fishing success is
still considered less than average as water temperature hover at 42
degree, considerably colder than normal for this time of year. Nevertheless,
for those here vying for that one chance at the largest king salmon
on earth, some did realize their dreams. One lucky angler on my boat
landed a fish that taped 52 inches and was an estimated weight of 70+
lbs. This is what the Kenai is all about. Fishing conditions will improve
drastically (without additional rain) by Tuesday and we are expecting
next week to be very productive.
Good
numbers of Russian River Red salmon are also showing and those willing
to put in the time are catching a handful of these delicious salmon.
On
the Kasilof river, fair numbers of king salmon are entering on each
tide and fishing is considered fair to good. The success rate is less
than normal for this time of the season but it should continue to pick
up and get better considering run timing statewide has been late overall.
Fishing pressure had been high due to the adverse conditions on the
Kenai but this should even out now that the Kenai is more fishable.
Mark's
Fishing Report, June 6, 2007
Kenai/Kasilof
The
Kasilof River is seeing good numbers of king salmon in recent days although
the number of boats on the river has been extreme on certain days and
this has had a direct effect on fishing success. On days when there
are a moderate number of boats fishing, the catch rates have definitely
been better as there are only a finite number of kings available daily.
Overall though the run continues to improve and it should get better
through this week as we head for the seasonal peak of this run (typically
June 10-15).
On
the Kenai River, fishing on this past Friday and Saturday was considered
very good with most boats landing between one and three kings. The river
was closed for the regular Sunday and Monday break and on Tuesday high
winds and rains over the weekend in the Kenai mountains muddied the
water and made king fishing all but impossible. The dirty water increased
water levels considerably and made visibility very poor. Until the river
cleans up (likely not till Saturday), king fishing on the Kenai will
remain very tough.
West
Side Cook Inlet: Fly Out fisheries
Sockeye
returning to big river Lake have made their first appearance and catchable
numbers of fish are present in the outskirts of the lake. Water levels
on Big River and Big River Lake are very low but the fish are balled
up in select locations and catch rates have been decent for the few
trips angers have made to this location.
Cook
Inlet Halibut / King Salmon
Cook
Inlet halibut fishing remains very consistent with limit catches being
the rule for all boats heading out for these tasty flatfish. The tides
are less than optimal now but will improve daily heading into next week.
King fishing in the Inlet has slowed and many captains have put away
the troll gear and are not fishing for kings in combination with their
halibut trip as the results are not worth the effort. This is typical
for this time in June as the kings move past the marine fishery and
enter the rivers.
Mark's
Fishing Report, May 30, 2007:
Water
clarity on the Kenai River improved considerably in the last two days
and the number of kings entering the river continues to increase daily.
With the better conditions, fishing success has also picked up, although
catch rates are still only fair. Fishing should continue to improve
into the first week of June. Fishing on the Kasilof river has also picked
up with more fish available in the last two days. This fishery should
also continue to pick up as we enter the first week of June as this
is historically a very productive time for this river.
Mark's Fishing Report,
May 29, 2007:
Much
like 2006, the early runs of king salmon on both the Kenai and the Kasilof
Rivers are off to a fairly slow start. Numbers of fish on both rivers
have yet to materialize though enough kings are showing in each system
to providing some decent action mainly around the high tides.
On
the Kasilof, fishing is gradually improving each day but the river is
still very low and the best fishing seems to be in the lower portion
of the river and is occurring a few hours before and after the high
tides. Boats are averaging one to three fish per trip and it seem clear
that the major push of early run Kasilof kings has yet to arrive. The
larger numbers of fish should improve fishing considerable and we hope
this will happen in the next week to ten days.
On the Kenai, fishing last week was considered decent with decent numbers
of fish being taken around the high tide in the lower river but recent
rains have put the river off color and as a result, fishing success
has waned. The water is clearing daily and fishing for early run Kenai
kings should pick up throughout this week. Sonar counts are slowly increasing.
Please see:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/escapement/...
Cook
Inlet salt water fishing has been the most consistent so far this season
with good king salmon fishing at times and very good catch rates for
halibut in the 20-40lb. range.
Good
luck on the water and great fishing!
Mark
Glassmaker
Mark's
2005 fishing reports
Mark's 2006 fishing reports
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