Alaska Bound

[Raleigh]

Friday my wife and two other couples head up to Soldotna for a week on the Kenai. We have 2 salmon float trips scheduled and 1 Halibut trip out of Ninilchick. Does anyone have any recent reports????

I plan to fish out the back door of house so any DIY tips would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[smithb164]

One of my favorite trips ever! Are you putting your trips together a la carte, going through a specific guide?

No recent reports to post from me, sorry!

[str8shooter]

Here you go. I haven't talked to my nephew or my BIL recently so I don't have any first hand reports, but I'll send them a text and see what they say.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishingReports/index.cfm?ADFG=R2.reportDetail&area_key=5

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/index.cfm?ADFG=main.displayResults&COUNTLOCATIONID=40&SpeciesID=420

https://kenaicache.com/reports/

[diamond10x]

My parents just got back last week from our property on the Kenai. They said sockeye numbers were wayyy down as of a week and a half ago only 200k sockeye for the first run? King season is over today so that’s off limits although you can still accidentally hook one and take some pics. My dad fished each night from our dock and caught several each evening and kept a few for lunch and dinner.

Even with numbers down you’ll still be able to catch em! Fishing for salmon can be really slow if they aren’t moving through then you’ll have little windows as they come by that you will all hook up so keep your line in the water and don’t give up til you got your 3 for the day.

[bklem]

Just got back last week. Last four days in Soldotna. Fishing was tough. Numbers on the Reds were way down. Kings were catch and release only. However one morning I did catch three up to 35 pounds. Best excursion we did was the fly out on a float plane for Reds with Talon air. Great trip fishing around the bears.

[Larryf250]

Have fun, when we were there 2 years ago the salmon in the kenai river was terrible. Too many locals netting and commercial fishing. Plus completely artificial baits only. In years past the guides used lures with cut fish tied to it for attractant. That’s a no no now. Five years ago we talked to the other guides as we floated the river all day. Two years ago we saw 10 boats all day. The halibut our of ninilcheck was great. Nothing big but fun. Seward trip was the best and limited out by noon. Beautiful up there. We saw moose everyday. Some days in the parking lot at the lodge.

[str8shooter]

Update - My nephew (lives to fish and fishes pretty much every day up there) just texted me. He heard that fish and game is planning on closing the Kenai to sockeye fishing on 8/4. He also said the fishing on the Kenai has been worse than **** poor all season, so don't expect much.

[kruppa24]

No report here, but enjoy and good luck

[Raleigh]

Update - My nephew (lives to fish and fishes pretty much every day up there) just texted me. He heard that fish and game is planning on closing the Kenai to sockeye fishing on 8/4. He also said the fishing on the Kenai has been worse than **** poor all season, so don't expect much.

Ouch that is a bummer.
I need to call our guide pronto!!!!!
Thanks

[Raleigh]

One of my favorite trips ever! Are you putting your trips together a la carte, going through a specific guide?

No recent reports to post from me, sorry!

We are using guides but I found them myself and booked separately.

[smithb164]

I’d look for fly outs to fish silvers if you have to change plans! Or go to Seward and do a multi species trip!

[str8shooter]

Another update - my nephew says that humpies and silvers are starting to run. Hopefully they have a good silver run. If so, those are funner to catch than reds!

[Raleigh]

Yep,
I just spoke to my guide and he boated 21 Silvers on a two man trip today. Pinks are strong as well.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Update - My nephew (lives to fish and fishes pretty much every day up there) just texted me. He heard that fish and game is planning on closing the Kenai to sockeye fishing on 8/4. He also said the fishing on the Kenai has been worse than **** poor all season, so don't expect much.

He heard right.

Kenai River Closed to Sockeye Salmon Fishing
(Soldotna) – To protect returning sockeye salmon and increased fishing opportunities in the future, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is implementing the following sport fishing closure on the Kenai River effective 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 4, 2018.
The Kenai River is closed to fishing for sockeye salmon from its mouth upstream to the Sterling Highway Bridge at the outlet of Kenai Lake, except those waters of the Upper Kenai River, Russian River, and Russian River confluence areas remain open. The waters of the Russian River confluence remain open to allow anglers to target Russian River sockeye salmon. Please review page 60 of the 2018 Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary Booklet for a description of the area. With about 20% of the Russian River late-run sockeye salmon past the weir, the run looks strong with a projection of over 70,000 salmon.
“The department doesn’t take this action lightly,” stated Sport Fish Cook Inlet Management Coordinator Matt Miller. “This fishery is important economically to the community and important to Alaskans trying to put salmon on the table; but when projections indicate we won’t make the escapement goal, we have to take that final action and close the fishery.”
On July 24, 2018, ADF&G reevaluated the Kenai River sockeye salmon run and projected the run will be less than 2.3 million fish. Based on the current passage estimate of 434,560 fish through July 30 and run timing of sockeye salmon into the Kenai River, the sustainable escapement goal (SEG) of 700,000 to 1,200,000 Kenai River late-run sockeye salmon may not be met without a reduction in harvest of this stock. Therefore, it is warranted to close the Kenai River sport fishery. The personal use dip net fishery was closed two days early this year and restrictions to the commercial fisheries are being implemented.

[str8shooter]

I figured he was right. After all, his dad (my BIL) is a guide on the Kenai.