Alaska Salmon Fishing

The Kenai and Kasilof rivers offer some of the best salmon fishing in the world and are accessible by car via Anchorage. You can catch four of the five species of salmon on the Kenai Peninsula. Fly into Anchorage, rent a car, and drive three hours to our location in Soldotna.

Salmon start running up the rivers in Alaska by early May and can run through early winter. The peak of salmon entering the rivers in Alaska is June – October. There are five species of salmon that enter specific rivers at specific times, so it is very beneficial to have a guide help you find and catch these salmon. On the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, you can catch salmon from late May thru the end of October annually.

The best time to go salmon fishing in Alaska is dependent on where you are fishing and what species you are targeting. The Kenai River is awesome because it has fishable numbers of salmon for most of the summer months! Check out our salmon page and see peak dates.

There are many ways to catch salmon on the Kenai River. You can fish from a boat on the river or from shore at any of the public state or federal parks. People cast for salmon with fly or spinning gear. Anglers also troll and drift the river. You can use flies, spinners, crankbaits, bait, etc., depending on what part of the river you are on and current regulations. There are areas where regulations are more strict on what gear you are using so make sure to know the rules for where you are fishing.

When salmon fishing in Alaska you are going to want to have layers of clothing, rain gear, and ideally waterproof boots. Make sure to avoid cotton layers. Bring a backpack with extra layers in case you get wet or cold. When salmon fishing it is also a great idea to have eye protection or sunglasses. Bring a winter hat and gloves for those cold spring or fall mornings.