Alaska silver salmon, also called coho, are an aggressive and hard fighting fish known for their acrobatic displays, cartwheels, and blistering runs. Because of their strength and aggression, we believe silver salmon fishing in Alaska is some of the most rewarding. You can fly fish, spin fish, back troll, and twitch. The myriad of techniques available is suitable for any ability and will challenge even the most experienced anglers.
The first run of silver salmon on the Kenai River arrives in early August and peaks toward the end of the month. These fish average 9-12lbs with a limit of two per day. The second run shows up in fishable numbers around the middle of September and stays productive through October, averaging 10-15lbs with a limit of three per day.
We target silvers from Bings Landing to Skilak Lake; this portion of the Kenai is known as the Middle River. The Middle River is a diverse section of water great for multiple fishing techniques. It gives us 15 miles of water to fish with fewer boats in our way! Our favorite area to fish on the Middle is in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a six-mile stretch of river where wilderness dominates and offers an amazing backdrop while we partake in world-class fishing.
If the fishing is hot and limits happen quickly, you can switch gears and target native rainbow trout; we call this the Kenai Double Dip. The Kenai is one of the best native trophy trout fisheries in the world. Rainbows over 10lbs are not uncommon. Fall on the Kenai is THE TIME to target these incredible fish. For more info on Kenai rainbows visit our Rainbow Trout website.
