With all the closures and restrictions lately, one wouldn’t be blamed if they thought there were no more angling opportunities in the central Kenai Peninsula. But they'd be wrong.
First of all, dip-netting is still open at the mouth of the Kasilof River, with just a couple caveats: One, any king salmon caught must be immediately returned to the water, and two, the fishery is for Alaska residents only. Other than that, Fish and Game says dip-netting success on the Kasilof remains good.
Angling for sockeye on the Kasilof is also reported to be good. King fishing is slow and catch-and-release only.
Meanwhile, lake fishing for trout is rated as very good in the central peninsula, and rainbow trout fishing on the Kenai River has been good to excellent.
But if you really need to catch a sockeye with a hook, give the confluence area of the Russian River and Kenai River a try. There, limits are three per day and six in possession. The department’s upper Kenai Report says some fish are starting to “blush,” but plenty of bright sockeye are still moving through.
What was left of the king salmon season on the Kenai River closed Wednesday, and sockeye angling will close after midnight tonight on the main stem of the Kenai River from its mouth to Kenai Lake.
