King salmon sports fishing on the Kenai Peninsula’s two main rivers will open again this year with restrictions.
In two announcements from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Soldotna this week, the Kenai River early run of kings will be restricted to catch-and-release only, while on the Kasilof River anglers may only keep one hatchery-bred king salmon longer than 20 inches in length.
Naturally-bred kings are off-limits. A hatchery king can be identified by the absence of an adipose fin, and a scar in its place.
On the Kenai, the sports fishing restrictions begin on May 1 and last through the last second of June. The restrictions will continue through the end of July, though only above Fish and Game’s marker near Slikok Creek.
On both rivers, only one, un-baited, single hook artificial lure may be used.