Kasilof River Fishing Charters

Anglers looking for a quieter alternative to the Kenai River won’t want to miss out on a Kasilof River fishing adventure. This drift-only fishing haven offers up the opportunity to go against Alaska’s finest freshwater targets in a more peaceful environment. Leave the crowds behind and hook into your dream catch in this underrated paradise!

You have two opportunities to go after King (Chinook) Salmon in the Kasilof River. The first run happens in May and is followed by a second in July. To tide you over between the two runs, target delicious Red (Sockeye) Salmon in the upper Kasilof. This is a favorite for fly fishermen!

The Salmon season finishes off with a beautiful run of Silver (Coho) Salmon, starting in late August. Once they’ve left, it’s all about hooking into Rainbow Trout and massive Steelhead. Color-changing Dolly Varden joins in for the ride, keeping light tackle enthusiasts entertained well into October and November.

Fishing in Alaska deserves time and patience, and the more hours you spend on the water, the better. Trips lasting five hours and longer are recommended to get the most out of your experience. Multi-day trips are also popular, especially in the summertime. Just be sure to book your charter and lodging in advance to avoid disappointment.

The Crooked Creek and Kasilof River State Recreation Sites are popular launch spots for charters. You can camp at both, which is great if you’re planning a multi-day trip. Take the Sterling highway on your way in and enjoy the beautiful vistas!

Rules & Regulations

The majority of charters in Alaska don’t provide fishing licenses. As a result, you’ll need to purchase your own freshwater license before your trip. Possession and bagging limits vary significantly depending on the time of year, so it’s best to do some research and head out with a guide.

Kasilof River

4.6 / 5

Based on 28561 reviews by FishingBooker anglers

Kasilof River Fishing Seasons

January

It’s quiet on the Kasilof River, but there’s still plenty to do. Check out the Tustumena 200 – a sled dog race that brings in mushers from all over the world!

February

Keep your mind off the cold weather and head to nearby Soldotna for the annual Frozen RiverFest! It’s all about having a good time and indulging in food and drink with the locals.

March

The weather’s warming up, but it’s not quite fishing season on the Kasilof River yet. Choose to explore areas of the Kenai Peninsula with access to saltwater and go against big Halibut instead!

April

Prime fishing season is almost upon us! In the meantime, test your angling skills against resident Rainbow Trout. In other areas on the Peninsula, you can hook into Rockfish and the last of the winter Halibut.

May

Things start to get exciting and by mid-month, the Kasilof is stocked with King Salmon. Unlike the Kenai River, you can use live bait here to further entice their bite. 50-pounders aren’t a rare occurrence here!

June

Catch the last of the spring Kings before Red Salmon arrives at the end of the month! Catching one of these delicious fish on a fly is a must in the drift-only Kasilof River.

July

And before you know it, the Kings are back! If you weren’t able to get out on the water during the first run, this your chance to make up for it. The fish may be smaller now, but it’s still rod-bending action from start to finish.

August

Hook Kings at the beginning of the month before shifting your focus to Silver Salmon later on. This is one of the last opportunities of the year to hook into these delicious fish!

September

Come fall, it’s all about the Steelhead run! The Kasilof river sees large numbers of the “silver bullet,” Just remember, it’s a catch and release fishery only.

October

The Steelhead run is still going strong! These silver fish don’t disappoint and put on a show by jumping out of the water. Dolly Varden joins the party too, keeping fishing exciting until the very last minute.

November

The majority of boats have been pulled out of the water, but if you can find somebody to take you out, the Steelhead and Dolly Varden fishing continues to be excellent!

December

The fishing season has to come a close, but there’s plenty of holiday cheer to go around in Alaska. Check out one of the many Christmas festivals and craft shows to get into the spirit!

Kasilof River Fishing Calendar

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What anglers said about fishing in Kasilof River

Be prepared for cold wet weather. You can always take things off but you can’t put on a layer you didn’t bring.

5.0 / 5

Be prepared for cold wet weather. You can always take things off but you can’t put on a layer you didn’t bring.

King of the River – Drift Boat Palmer, AK

How did anglers rate fishing charters in Kasilof River?

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Huge Kings, Silvers and Dollys. We loved it! Captain Jess was awesome. Great for kids too!

Jennifer M.

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

It rained the whole trip but that did not stop us from getting our limit. Jesse was great, he showed us what to do and off we went.

Penny R. Northfield, MN

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Our trip with Captain Jesse was great! While it did rain all day and fishing was so, he kept moving us until we found fish! He was a great teacher and did an excellent job of showing us how to fish for Sockeye. We brought home 11 fish and compared to what other people caught it was a lot! I would highly recommend this trip and having Captain Jesse as your guide!

Gerri H. Ashwaubenon, WI

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

Our family took a full day trip with Captain Dean and Deckhand Sam. We had a great day despite the weather. Caught our limit of Reds.

David E. Palmer, AK

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

Captain Josh made sure we had an amazing trip. Our boat limited out pretty quick. He had lots of great knowledge and really cared about our fishing and experience. Would return back and recommend for other fisherman.

Nathan L. Plant City, FL

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

The boat was good Jess was super. We didn’t catch any fish. We did hook a couple but they got away. Was a beautiful peaceful day

Sue P. Snowflake, AZ

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

We had a beautiful day on the water! Cody was awesome, put us on the fish all afternoon and limited out. Patient with the old folks-reshowing them the flossing technique. Highlight of our trip. 🎣 THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPERTISE!

Cara O. V. Anchor Point, AK

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

Our family had a great time and learned a lot fishing with Jason. We were all first-timers and he was very patient with us all. We had three young children in our group of 5. The weather was really poor but he stuck it out with us while we tried to catch what we could under nasty conditions. Communication was great with all involved with the company. Would definitely recommend.

Heather C. Hinckley, OH

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Jacob did a great job. He had to overcome some obstacles and he pulled it off with grace. We had great morning and learned a new fishing technique. Highly recommend!

Jeff R. Naples, FL

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Excellent experience! We had amazing time. The crew was awesome! Got plenty of excitement and lots of fish! Highly recommended!!!

Nikolay G. Nikiski, Alaska

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Everything went well. On time for mtg. Efficient throughout the day. Jacob was Kind and engaged throughout our trip. We filled our limits - excellent experience

Kadee M. Adel, IA

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

The three of us enjoyed a perfect half day of sockeye salmon fishing with Aaron. The weather was great, just as the hints from Aaron to make us inexperienced fishermen more effective. And the result was there, among the three of us we caught 7 salmon. Aaron tool care of it all, so we could take home plenty of salmon for dinner, where the rest we had shipped of to friends in the US. A 5 star experience!

Jurrien D. K. United States

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

Had a great time. The fishing was pretty slow, but the guides and scenery were wonderful.

Duane H. Brooklyn, IA

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

Dean and Wade are top notch, great guys and incredibly knowledgeable about the river and the fish. Lots of boats on the river when we were out, and I think we outfished all of them in numbers and size of fish.

Connor B. Markesan, WI

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

4.3 / 5

(24 reviews)

Over all the trip down the river was good. We saw moose, eagles even a beaver. We did not know what to expect, just what we could read on line. The day was a bust, no fish. We had one bump and only saw a few fish being cleaned at the take out. (No kings) It seamed to be a really slow day on the river or we were early for the run even the pre-run.. That’s why it’s called fishing…… Best of luck to those that are yet to come…

Virgil S. Harlem Springs, OH

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Great time on the river with the family! Jacob was a great guide and we caught enough salmon to stock the fridge, highly recommend this company to anyone wanting to fish the river!

Nathan S. Delray Beach, FL

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

Our guide, Jacob, did a great job finding us the sockeye and he stayed extra long to help us get them.

Randy R. Mechanicsville, MD

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(38 reviews)

This trip was awesome, from beginning to end. Jacob and Kayla were so friendly and personable. They really welcomed us on the boat and showed us the ropes. We chatted and joked while taking in the beauty of the Kasilof River (and absolutely slaying some sockeyes). Chris was also great with communicating, he answered my questions quickly and was friendly. I highly recommend them!

Aspen W. United States

Discover Alaskan Adventures – Salmon
Fishing charter in Kasilof

4.7 / 5

(38 reviews)

Lived in alaska for 40 years decided to do something new. Jacob was the captain of the boat he treated us very well and had plenty of knowledge. We learned some new fishing techniques and got our limit easily.

Kevin B. Diomede, AK

King of the River – Drift Boat
Fishing charter in Kasilof

5.0 / 5

(24 reviews)

We took 2 trips with these guys. Great experience both times. Dean is a fun guy with a great attitude and Grant is outstanding with helping kids fish.