As the fishing season heats progresses the Kenai Peninsula — sockeye salmon are still the species to target, but efforts have shifted from the Russian River to the Kasilof River.
Sockeye
The bag limit on the Kasilof has been increased to 6 per day and 12 in possession while the personal use dipnet fishery on that river has seen its area expanded from the mouth upstream to the Sterling Highway Bridge as Alaska Department of Fish and Game managers work to control the escapement of red salmon up the river.
The number of sockeye entering the river has remained relatively stable and fishing is fair, according to Fish and Game fishing reports.
The red salmon have yet to enter the Kenai River en masse, though a thriving personal-use dipnet fishery has seen fair success as the run continues to progress.
On the Russian River, sockeye salmon fishing my improve over the next few days as late-run reds migrate through the Kenai River, according to Fish and Game’s fishing report.
In the Lower Cook Inlet, sockeye have been returning to the Tutka Bay Lagoon alongside pink salmon returns.
Kings
For anglers who want to harvest a king salmon, looking away from the famed Kenai River may be the best route as the late-run continues to come in slow and will likely be restricted later in the week.
The marine fishery for kings has proves fairly successful during the 2014 fishing season and Fish and Game reports show that trolling for feeders kings is good in the Lower Cook Inlet near Flat Island, Point Pogibshi, Yukon Island, Bear Cove and Bluff Point.
Anglers have also reported catching pink, chum, sockeye and coho salmon while trolling for kings, according to the report. King salmon may also be caught in the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon just off of the Homer Spit, according to the fishing report.
Pike
For a different kind of fishing experience, anglers can target invasive Northern Pike which are present in several Northern Cook Inlet streams and in a few lakes on the central Kenai Peninsula.
Pike can be harvested using spears, bow and arrow, bait, spin and fly fishing gear.
Herring suspended under a bobber will likely catch the fish, according to a Fish and Game fishing report.
Anglers may keep as many pike as they catch — there is no bag or possession limit.
On the road system, try Nancy Lake, Long Lake, Memory and Prator lakes in the Northern Cook Inlet or boat into the Deshka River and Alexander Creek.