or send a message through our contact page. Tell us your dates and what you want to catch, and we’ll confirm a day on the water.
This is the trip to book if you want to fish the Kenai without committing to a full day, or if you’re bringing kids and want a float that stays fun and easygoing. We launch right near the lodge at the Cooper Landing bridge and drift the Upper-Upper Kenai with your guide on the oars. There’s something to see at every bend: bald eagles, the chance of a moose on the bank, and the river’s signature baby-blue water running between the mountains.
Because this stretch is drift-only, it stays quiet (no motors, no crowds) and the rainbow trout and dolly varden here are clean and feisty. Average fish run 12–16 inches with bigger ones mixed in, and they put up a great fight. We fly fish beads and flesh flies, with spin fishing available too, and all trout and dolly varden are catch-and-release. The days right after the June 11 opener are some of the best of the year.
The Russian River is our signature salmon walk-in, and one of the most rewarding ways to fish the Kenai system. The Russian gets the first wave of sockeye pushing up from the main river, and because it’s reached only on foot (there are no boat ramps), you fish your way upstream and work different water through the day instead of staking out one spot. If you’re after fresh fillets, sockeye are the fish: firm, bright-red meat, best when caught chrome-bright and fresh from the ocean.
Sockeye are fished from the bank with a hands-on technique called flossing: a 10-weight rod, heavy leader, and a simple fly swung into fish as they push upriver. It’s active, involved, and a blast to learn. Average reds run 6–10 pounds, and during a strong push the river fills with fish. The first run from June 11 to 30 is the headliner, with a second window from July 15 to 31.
This is the trip when the late-run sockeye are stacked in the Middle Kenai. The late run, from July 10 to August 15, is the biggest of the season, bringing the heaviest numbers and the largest reds. Where our Russian River trip is a hike-in walk-and-wade day, this one uses the boat to reach prime gravel bars and bank water below Skilak Lake that most people on foot never get to, so you spend a full day on fish instead of fighting for space. The Kenai’s sockeye are some of the best-eating salmon there is: firm, deep-red fillets, and we target them chrome-bright and fresh from the ocean.
Sockeye are fished from the bank by flossing, a hands-on technique with a 10-weight rod and a heavy leader, swinging a simple fly into fish as they push upriver. It is active and a blast to learn, and during a strong push the river fills with reds. Average fish run 6–10 pounds, and this is the trip to book when your goal is taking home a cooler of fillets.
The Kenai is closed to fishing from May 1 to June 10 to protect spawning rainbow trout, then opens June 11. Run timing shifts a little each season, so call ahead and we’ll tell you what’s fishing on your dates.
A few more options beyond the trips above:
Everything you need for a day on the water comes with your trip:
All you need to bring is an Alaska sport fishing license, which takes a couple of minutes to buy online before your trip.
It depends on what you want. Rainbow trout fish well all season, with peaks at the June 11–15 opener and the fall bead bite (mid-August into October). Russian River sockeye run first in June, Kenai late-run sockeye peak in July, and silvers take over from mid-August through September.
No. Most of our guests are not full-time anglers. Your guide rigs everything, teaches the technique on the water, and adjusts to your pace, fly or spin.
Let Us Know You're Coming
Call (907) 595-5555 or send a message through our contact page. Tell us your dates and what you want to catch, and we’ll confirm a day on the water.
