21 Jun Alaska Fishing Report: June 21, 2021
As we approach summer solstice and start the inevitable slide back toward winter it is time to take a look back on a very busy start to our 2021 Alaska fishing season. As always we started the journey on the glacier fed Kasilof river; chasing fresh from the ocean king salmon. It was a very strong return this year and we had excellent success starting in mid-May and continuing well into the second week of June. As we enter the ladder part of June the run is past its historical peak and we have largely turned our attention to the newly arriving sockeye salmon on both the Kasilof and also on the Kenai.
Kenai River Fishing Report – June 2021
On the Kenai river, the early run of king salmon has been just strong enough to keep it open to fishing and we have had some very good catch and release action on several days thus far. Unlike the hatchery return to the Kasilof, the Kenai river fishing pursuit is not a harvest fishery but rather the chance to do battle with the infamous wild kings that are responsible for the Kenai’s worldwide reputation. It is good to see this embattled run continue to persevere as there have been many tough years where the sustainability of this fishery seemed uncertain. Through a change in management and a change in mentality among anglers, let’s hope we continue to see this run meet at least minimum escapement goals and hopefully climb back to the incredible fishery it once was. To watch the Kenai river fishing report, 2021 numbers daily please see the sonar counts published by ADF&G here.
For the latest in ADF&G emergency orders and regulation changes please see this document.
Alaska fly out fishing on the West Side of Cook Inlet has been nothing short of incredible with an early and very strong showing of sockeye salmon to Big River Lake. We have been doing daily trips to this remote and magical location since early June and the fish continue to arrive in excellent numbers to both the South Fork of Big River and to Wolverine Creek. We are also starting to see bears both on the lake itself and also from the plane flying over the West Forelands. As always this trip remains one of our most scenic and popular fly out destinations and we look forward to the next several weeks visiting this incredible location.
Halibut fishing in nearby Cook Inlet has also been excellent with consistent limits on these great eating fish. Many prime sized halibut in the 25-75lb. range have been caught by our guests and weather permitting this fishery should remain extremely good well into the month of August.
As we transition from our early run to late run July fisheries we continue to work hard daily for all or our new and returning clients who are looking to put a tough year in history behind them and enjoy all the freedom and splendor a trip to Alaska affords. I want to especially thank all my extremely hard-working guides for their passion and commitment to what they do and for putting smiles on so many happy angler’s faces. Please enjoy all the great pictures below and check back in the next several weeks for more fishing reports to come!
