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Fishing by the Month

Get a feel for what is available in each month of our fishing season.

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June

June kicks off our main season here on the Kenai, and we love the start of summer! It’s a fun time as we welcome back our crew, guests, friends and family. The most exciting timeframe for us in June is the 11-14th as that is the Kenai river opener. From May 1 to June 11, the river is closed for trout spawning. The trout and dolly varden have had zero pressure on them for about six weeks, meaning no one has been trying to catch them. Just like us, they are ready for some action and we’re anxious to get on the water and get after it! June can bring some beautiful weather with the start of summer, while still having cooler mornings and evenings. The longest day of the year is June 21 – summer solstice!

Kail June client with rainbow on middle Kenai

What’s available?

  • King salmon on Kasilof River: Early season is the most reliable time to target kings, with the best dates being June 5-20. We fish the early run kings by back trolling from the drift boat.
  • Rainbow trout and dolly varden: June is a fun month to fly fish for trout, since they’re hungry coming off lean winter months. The Opener is especially good from June 11-15
  • Saltwater fishing: June offers calm weather days and good tides to get out on the ocean targeting rockfish, salmon, and halibut
  • Arctic Grayling: If the warm spring temperatures arrive on time, we start fishing for grayling in high alpine lakes around mid June. The lakes are reached by hike or float plane.
  • Sockeye salmon: The first run of sockeye appears in the Russian River. This is an adventurous hike-in trip and we utilize a technique called “flossing”. Later in June we target reds on the Kasilof River during its sockeye run. The Kasilof is boat-access.
  • Fly-in Trips: Around mid June, we start taking float plane trips to alpine lakes for grayling, and trips across Cook Inlet for salmon fishing and bear viewing.
middle kenai sockeye group stringer

July

July is peak season in Alaska! The state welcomes many visitors in this timeframe and for good reason. The second runs of sockeye salmon reach their peak later in the month, making this an excellent freezer filling timeframe. The weather is typically mild, with long, sunny days and gorgeous evenings around the campfire. July is one of the best months for outside activities, due to the nicer weather. Things like hike-ins, fly-outs, bear viewing and glacier cruises can all be great options in July, in addition to great fishing.

What’s available?

  • Rainbow trout and dolly varden trips are a mainstay on all sections of the Kenai. Trout will primarily go for egg or flesh patterns during the height of summer, though the upper can see some excellent dry fly and traditional nymph fishing on warm days.
  • Sockeye salmon - Early in July, we target sockeye on the Kasilof River. Between July 10-15, the Kenai run gains momentum and gets better and better through the rest of the month.
  • Arctic grayling continue fishing well this month, accessible by float plane or hike.
  • Saltwater fishing - July is a peak time out on the ocean for saltwater species. Lingcod season opens in July, and the halibut and rockfish are readily available. Resurrection Bay silvers start to show up, which is a big draw.
  • Wade fishing trips - The Russian River fishes well all month for rainbows. Late in July, some of the smaller Kenai tributaries start turning on also.
  • Fly-in fishing and bear viewing. With salmon runs in full swing, the bears are in concentrated areas feeding up for the winter.
conor nate silvers

August

August is a time of transition on the Kenai as we begin shifting from sockeye to silver salmon and from meat hunting to fly fishing for trophy trout. The busy season winds down at the end of the month, making late August much quieter. The Kenai sockeye run drops off in the first half of the month and we transition over to silver salmon for the remainder of the season. Silvers are incredibly fun to target with spinning gear, as they put up an aggressive fight. Catching them on the fly requires some casting skills from the angler, but also offers a big thrill! Weather in August starts to transition as well – we continue to have many mild sunny days, but we have increased chances of rain and cooler, foggy mornings.

What’s available?

  • Sockeye salmon continue to fish well on the Kenai through about August 10-15.
  • Silver salmon show up mid-month. These are a fun, predatory fish that like to go after shiny spinners and streamers. There are so many ways to fish for them.
  • Rainbow trout and dolly varden get better and better through the month as they begin to feed on the eggs of spawning salmon. We call this timeframe the “bead bite.”
  • Saltwater fishing is still good but becomes less reliable in late August due to inclement weather and rough seas
  • Arctic grayling at the alpine lakes turns off as soon as nighttime temps drop. Normally this is after the first week of August. 
  • Small stream wade fishing. August 1-15 is the very best time for bead bite fishing on Quartz Creek, a clear running tributary to the Kenai. 
  • Fly-in trips for salmon, bear viewing, and dolly varden in Lake Clark National Park are still great, but the change to Fall weather means the trips are impacted by weather delays or cancellations more frequently in the second half of August.

September

Fall is an incredible time to visit the peninsula and get out on the river! We love this time of year as an opportunity to fly fish for trophy rainbow trout and dolly varden. Silver salmon are still present in the rivers, and we also get our opportunities for steelhead. Many non-fishing activities wind down early in the month, but the Kenai is a fly fishing paradise throughout all of September. Many anglers love to come later in the season in pursuit of “the big one,” and they enjoy fewer tourists and fall colors. Golden evenings fading to dark starry skies are the hallmark of September. By late September, we will see lows in the mid 20s and highs in the 40s-50s.

Fishing (16)

What’s available?

  • Rainbow trout and dolly varden - As the month progresses, so can the size of the fish! Most trophy rainbows are caught in the month of September as the fish congregate around their main food sources. Fly fishing with beads, flesh flies, and leeches is productive.
  • Silver salmon - There are still silvers in the river to target. Our approach to silvers in September is to bring home a few for dinner, rather than a fill the freezer mission.
  • Steelhead - These ocean-run trout return to the Kasilof River starting in mid September and into October. These fish are really fun to target and can offer the opportunity to use spey fishing techniques as well as indicator fishing.
  • Saltwater fishing. Most charters end their seasons after the first week of September.
  • Fly-in fishing. There are a few awesome specialty fly-outs, but probably only 50% of the days can go due to weather.
  • Non-fishing tour activities around the peninsula are less available at this time of year, but guided hikes and rafting are still a great option.

Drifters Lodge is a small, locally owned and operated fishing lodge with a long history of repeat guests and satisfied anglers. We have been in operation since 1998.

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Drifters Lodge is permitted to operate on public lands under special use permits from the Chugach National Forest, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, and Alaska State Parks. Drifters Lodge is an equal opportunity provider.

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