Kenai River King Salmon Fishing Charter
Home To The World's Largest King Salmon
Our Kasilof River King Salmon Fishing Charters are some of our most sought after trips in the early parts of the summer. Fishing for king salmon on Alaska’s Kasilof River is a great experience with a large portion of it flowing through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. It gives anglers a chance to catch some of the world’s largest and toughest King Salmon, also called Chinook. The Kasilof River is an amazing fishery that would be a lot more famous if it weren’t located so close to the mighty Kenai River.
Kasilof River king salmon commonly weigh between 20 to 40 pounds, with larger ones caught almost every summer. Make no mistake, these are big fish. Catching these trophy fish is best done by back-bouncing eggs or lures such as Kwikfish, skills you can quickly learn from skilled fishing guides. The Kasilof River has two big King Salmon runs, the first from May through June and the second from July to mid-August. However, Kasilof River king salmon fishing stops on July 31 due to regulations.
| Kasilof River Best Fishing Dates | |||
| Species | Description | Available Dates | Best Dates |
| King Salmon (Chinook) | Early Run | 5/16 – 6/30 | 6/4 – 6/19 |
| Late Run | 7/1 – 7/31 | 7/13 – 7/31 | |
| Sockeye Salmon (Red) | 6/14 – 8/27 | 6/23 – 8/12 | |
| Silver Salmon (Coho) | 8/1 – 9/30 | 8/15 – 9/15 | |
| Rainbow Trout & Steelhead | 6/11 – 9/30 | 8/15 – 9/30 | |
Kasilof River King Salmon Early Run
The Kasilof River in Alaska is renowned for its two distinct runs of King Salmon, also known as Chinook salmon, each offering unique experiences for anglers and nature enthusiasts. The first run, also known as the early run, is also called The Hatchery Run.It begins around mid-May and lasts through June, with the peak often occurring in early June. Most of the early run fish are caught by June 20th.
The Crooked Creek hatchery located near the Kasilof River bridge releases approximately 140,000 hatchery king salmon each year. Most of these fish come back in the early summer making for a great early season fishery for king salmon. There are wild kings that return at this time as well. The Alaska Department of Fish And Game targets an escapement goal of between 700 and 1400 wild king salmon during this early run as well.
There are certain days when harvesting both wild and hatchery king salmon are allowed and other days when wild kings must be released. It’s also important to not that these regulations can change during the season. There are usually not changes with regards to the hatchery king salmon, but in some years wild king salmon are required to be released if the returns are not going to meet the escapement goals.
Kasilof River King Salmon Late Run
The Kasilof River King Salmon Late run starts July 1 and continues into the first couple weeks of August. However, king salmon fishing ends by regulation July 31st. Any king salmon caught after July 31st each year must be released.
The Kasilof River Late Run King Salmon are known to be a bit larger than the early run fish. 50 lb king salmon have been caught on this run.
The techniques for catching the late run king salmon are the same as the early run using combinations of spin-n-glo’s and kwikfish with or without bait enhancers and scents.
Once we hit June 11th, the Kasilof River is also open to sockeye salmon fishing. Along with the Russian River, the Kasilof River is one of the rivers to first see the arrival of sockeye salmon each summer. By June 16th, we are able to do combo fishing trips for king salmon and sockeye salmon on the same trips.
Kenai Sportfishing charters
Kenai River Fishing
- Available: 5/16 – 9/30
- 7 Hour Fishing Trip full-day
- 5 Hours Fishing 3/4-day
- Up to 4 anglers per boat
- Large groups use multiple boats
- All equipment provided
- Combo Trips Available
- Private Boat Options Available
Kasilof River Fishing
- Available: 5/16 – 9/30
- 7 Hour Fishing Trip full-day
- 3/4-day not offered on Kasilof
- Up to 4 anglers per boat
- Large groups use multiple boats
- All equipment provided
- Combo Trips Available
- Private Boat Options Available
Bear & Fly-in Fishing
- Big River Lake: 6/10 – 9/30
- Crescent Lake: 6/20 – 9/30
- Brooks Falls: 7/1 – 8/2
Homer Halibut Fishing
- Available: 5/15 – 9/30
- Lingcod Available Starting 7/1
- Halibut, Combo, and Multi-species avaialble
- Overnight Trips!
- Private Boat Options Available
Ready to go Fishing?
Ready to cast your line into the stunning waters of the Kenai River? For more information or to book your unforgettable fishing adventure, visit our ‘Trips & Bookings’ page. Dive deeper into the Kenai River experience and secure your spot with Kenai Sportfishing today – where epic catches and breathtaking scenery await!