Fresh Kenai River Fishing Reports

Make plans with your guide before booking your room. They may be able to help you find a good place and a better deal right in Cooper landing. I booked a room in Soldotna before I made fishing plans and spent a little extra time traveling. It wasn't too bad, but it would have been nicer to be right there.

First time salmon fishing and first time salmon fishing on the river. The fishing is sitting right off the bank anchored down while you lure is diving close to the bottom from the current. Just a lot of sitting waiting for a bite.

Being rain grear and waterproof boots, Don’t expect a guarantee to catch salmon.

check the dates; mid to late july for reds, mid august for silvers. We went in between and it really didn't work out.

Bring warm clothes & a face mask. It turned into a nice sunny day but ride in the boat was chilly.

July is on and off just like a lot of people talk about. But if you take your crew there and keep lines in the water there's a good chance you'll have Salmon for dinner

If you're after Salmon, pay very close attention to the timing of the Runs and what is happening with the Dip Netting. In hindsight, we should have gone to the Kasilof or down to Seward as both had many more fish than the Kenai during the time we had available.

Bring a change of clothes, in case you fall down in the river the current is quite strong.

Book with Mike, excellent experience , even though in between Salmon runs he took us rite to where he thought fish might be hanging. We limited out in several hours. Thanks Mike, Rick and Tina

Know the regulations, where to go and potential hazards of certain areas- using a guide or going with a local for the first time would be highly recommended

Great river to fish. When I was there the river was high, so it will always depend on the conditions at the time of your planned trip. Beginning of July 2023.

Have a plan for your catch. Grocery stores have coolers you can transport fish home in, local processors can freeze and ship them, or you could catch and release. Ask your guides what the nearby options are and the price range for each.

Watch some YouTube videos and be proactive in talking with your guide. Don't be afraid of learning and getting into it. Definitely bring a rain jacket and be willing to adapt your times to get the best catch and don't forget to enjoy the beautiful area and have fun!

Listen to your guide, they care about you catching fish and having a great time

It was cold, we fished on June 2 before salmon season was open. None the less,we had fun and caught 10 fish in half a day. Dress in layers then add an extra one.

Make sure to book during one of the salmon runs. The guide was great but the but the fishing was hard.

Get a great guide like Nate. Nate took the guesswork out of fishing the great spots on the Kenai. All you have to do is show up and be willing to listen and you will have a great trip to remember. Lots and lots of fish!

Buy your license at Fred Meyer...very easy. If you catch a king salmon you will not be able to fish for the rest of the trip, but you can enjoy the boat ride.

If you really want to catch fish. You need at least a few days. with 1 day ,do not complain about no fish result (target is King salmon.)

Fishing in June is great because we got there before the big tourist season and didn’t have to fight the croweds.