Alaska Trout Fishing On The Kenai River
The Kenai River offers one of the most prolific trophy trout fisheries in all of Alaska and you can get there within a couple hours drive from Anchorage. With headwaters in the glacier capped and snow covered Kenai Mountain Range the mighty Kenai River begins at the outlet of Kenai Lake near the town of Cooper Landing. It then flows thirty miles where it empties into Skilak Lake. From the outlet of Skilak, it begins again for its final 50 mile journey passing through the town of Soldotna before emptying into the turbid waters of upper Cook Inlet in the town of Kenai.
Trout season on the Kenai River opens on June 11 after a six week closure to protect them while spawning. While June and July trout fishing can be very productive, the fish are generally spread out and focused on a variety of food sources such as aquatic insects, residual salmon flesh, leeches and out migrating salmon smolt.
As we move into the fall months of August, September and October, Kenai River rainbow trout will congregate behind spawning salmon beginning with the king spawn in late July though mid August. Kenai River kings spawn throughout the system, from just above tide water in the lower river to the upper portion of the Kenai below Kenai Lake. The next salmon to spawn from mid August into late September are the pink salmon (even years only) along with the sockeye salmon. Pinks spawn primarily from Skilak Lake down while the sockeye spawn exclusively below both Kenai and Skilak Lakes. Finally the last Kenai salmon to spawn are the silver salmon and they spawn from September well into the winter months. The majority of Kenai silver salmon spawn in the tributaries and main stem of the upper Kenai as well as in the first several miles below Skilak Lake.
This annual parade of spawning salmon creates a literal banquet of food for resident rainbow trout and dolly varden populations. It allows Kenai River rainbows to commonly exceed the magical 30 inch mark, a size that is very uncommon in most trout fisheries, even within Alaska.
Kenai River Trout fishing is all catch and release and we can use both conventional and fly fishing gear. For those looking for the most exclusive and effective fly fishing experience, we recommend booking a private charter with two anglers max.
