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Whether it's light gear or heavy, there's still some angling opportunity on the peninsula and off

Here’s something we haven’t shared in the Central Kenai Peninsula sportsfishing report before. Angling for salmon on the Kenai River is exclusively fly fishing at the moment. The vast majority of the river is still closed from end-to-end, but, in that portion around the confluence of the Russian River, you can try your hand at fly casting.

Both Areas A and B are fly-fishing only. They are bounded by the power line crossing the river on the west end and ADF&G markers on the east. Sportsman’s Landing at Mile 55 is about in the middle.

In Area A, the western portion, the limit for sockeye are three per day and six in possession for fish 16 inches or longer, and 10 per day and 10 in possession for fish shorter than that, but the season ends on Aug. 20. For silvers, through the end of October, the limit is 1 per day and 1 in possession, though they count against the sockeye limit.

In Area B, the bag limit for sockeye or coho salmon 16-inches or longer is three per day and six in possession in any combination, however, only one per day may be a silver.

After the 20th, sockeye salmon from the area may not be retained by regulation, unless superseded by emergency order. Like in Area A, coho salmon fishing will continue through Oct. 31.

Otherwise, areas outside the confluence of the Kenai and Russian rivers remain closed from the outlet of Kenai Lake down to Cook Inlet.

If you’d like to go a little farther afield, the king salmon season in Resurrection Bay remains open through the end of the month with a two-chinook-per-day bag limit and no season limit. Fish and Game reports catches have slowed, but fishermen are still returning with kings caught in the bay.

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