Anchor River King Salmon Fish Counts
Best Fishing Times And Peak Dates
The Anchor River, a prominent feature on the Kenai Peninsula, stands out for its early season abundance of king salmon. Alaska Department of Fish and Game runs a sonar and counter publishing The Anchor River King Salmon Fish Counts daily. Located about 200 miles south of Anchorage, near Homer, it’s accessible by a scenic 4-hour drive. This river, known for its clear waters, offers a unique fishing experience. Anglers find king and silver salmon, and steelhead trout. The most sought-after fishing areas are in its lower stretches, particularly near where it flows into Cook Inlet, blending the excitement of river and saltwater fishing.
Anchor River Location
The Anchor River is located about 15 miles north of Homer and empties into Cook Inlet at the town of Anchor Point.
Weirs are set up on the South and North forks of the Anchor River in early May to track escapement of king salmon, silver salmon, and steelhead until the fall. The South fork’s weir is at river mile 2.5, while the North fork’s is at mile 3.4, both above the salmon sport fishery zone ending near the Old Sterling Highway Bridge. An underwater video system records fish passage 24/7 at each floating resistance board weir. High spring flows often prevent the installation of the South Fork floating weir, so a part-fixed picket weir with sonar is used until end-May flows decrease.
Chinook salmon escapement in the Anchor River has been monitored using weirs since 2003, with numbers ranging from 2,499 in 2014 to 12,016 in 2004. The run starts in May and goes until early August. Historically, half of the run passed the weir by June 10, but recent years have seen a delay to June 22. The current sustainable escapement goal is between 3,800 and 7,600 Chinook salmon.
Anchor River King Salmon Fish Counts
Alaska’s Anchor River sees its king salmon run start in late May, peaking in early June and around July 4th. This run features unpredictable surges, leading to daily changes in fishing conditions. One day might bring 200 king salmon, while the next could see none. However, it remains an exciting spot to fish and potentially catch a wild Alaskan king salmon.
The Anchor River is renowned for the opportunity to catch large king salmon. With favorable timing, anglers can potentially catch several in just one afternoon. The river, easily accessible by road and equipped with over 150 camping spots, offers a prime fishing experience. On some days, as many as 200 king salmon ascend the river. Notably, in 2015, a remarkable count of 650 king salmon was recorded in a single day, rivaling some of the best fishing days on the famed Kenai River.
The Anchor River opens for fishing on select days each year, making it essential to consult the Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations for open dates. Furthermore, the river might sometimes close entirely for king salmon retention, highlighting the need to stay informed about the latest regulations and any in-season emergency orders.
Anchor River King Salmon Escapements
Like many rivers throughout the world, and Alaska, king salmon stocks are in serious distress. The Anchor River king salmon stocks have not been spared from this distress.
In 2022, the Anchor River was completely closed to king salmon fishing, contrasting with other major rivers in the region that remained open. The following year, 2023, saw nearly all rivers on the Kenai Peninsula, including the Kenai, Anchor, Ninilchik, Deep Creek, and several near Anchorage, close entirely for king salmon fishing and retention. The exception was the Kasilof River, spared due to its king salmon hatchery. Regulations required that any wild king salmon, identifiable by an adipose fin, be kept in the water and released.
The Anchor River/Fritz Creek Critical Habitat Area, established in 1985 in southern Kenai Peninsula, aims to safeguard habitats vital for wildlife, particularly moose. This area, encompassing the Anchor River and Fritz Creek drainages, is crucial for moose overwintering. Besides hosting the king salmon run, the Anchor River also supports coho salmon, steelhead/rainbow trout, and Dolly Varden char spawning and rearing, with the lower reaches aiding pink salmon.
Best fishing Dates For Alaska's Most Popular Rivers & Species
See the table below for Alaska’s most popular rivers and species. For more specific information on each river, click on the link to be taken to that pages specific review of the fish counts.
| River | Species | Dates | Peak Dates |
| Kenai River | King Salmon Early Run | 5/15 – 6/30 | 6/1 – 6/16 |
| King Salmon Late Run | 7/1 – 8/15 | 7/11 – 7/31 | |
| Sockeye Salmon Run | 7/1 – 8/20 | 7/11 – 8/19 | |
| Silver Salmon Early Run | 8/1 – 8/30 | 8/11 – 8/25 | |
| Silver Salmon Late Run | 9/1 – 9/30 | 9/11 – 9/25 | |
| Kasilof River | King Salmon Early Run | 5/15 – 6/30 | 5/28 – 6/19 |
| King Salmon Late Run | 7/1 – 8/15 | 7/11 – 7/31 | |
| Sockeye Salmon Run | 6/11 – 8/20 | 6/22 – 8/11 | |
| Russian River | Sockeye Salmon Early Run | 6/4 – 7/14 | 6/14 – 7/8 |
| Sockeye Salmon Late Run | 7/15 – 9/10 | 7/28 – 8/24 | |
| Silver Salmon Late Run | 8/1- 9/10 | 8/27 – 9/9 | |
| Copper River | Sockeye Salmon | 5/8 – 7/28 | 5/29 – 7/19 |
| Anchor River | King Salmon | 5/5 – 8/31 | 5/30 – 7/22 |
| Ninilchik River | King Salmon | 5/21 – 8/21 | 6/28 – 7/24 |
| Deshka River | King Salmon | 5/19 – 8/27 | 6/11 – 6/29 |
| Nushagak River | King Salmon | 6/6 – 8/17 | 6/14 – 7/11 |
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