News

Monitor Robert Begich counts the salmon pulled ashore and looks for king salmon at a test site for beach seine gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai council opposes Endangered Species Act listing for chinook

The city both stated their opposition to that proposed listing, as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service’s positive finding on the requesting petition

Monitor Robert Begich counts the salmon pulled ashore and looks for king salmon at a test site for beach seine gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Low coho returns spur slew of bag limit reductions

A Northern Kenai Fishing Report published by the State Department of Fish and Game on Wednesday says that sockeye fishing is still slowing. The department… Continue reading

A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Sockeye fishing slows; silvers start to arrive

Northern Kenai Fishing Report

A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
An Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory marker is seen at the outlet of Skilak Lake near Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai River restriction on multiple hooks extended

A restriction on the use of multiple hooks on the Kenai River was extended via emergency order by the State Department of Fish and Game… Continue reading

An Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory marker is seen at the outlet of Skilak Lake near Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Jerry Martens holds up a 14.33 pound silver salmon on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Seward, Alaska. On Monday, that silver was the largest fish caught in the 69th Annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby and also outweighs last year’s winning catch. (Photo provided by Seward Chamber of Commerce)

Seward Silver Salmon Derby continues through Sunday

The 69th Annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby kicked off on Saturday and has already seen nearly 600 fishers participate. The derby runs every day from… Continue reading

Jerry Martens holds up a 14.33 pound silver salmon on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Seward, Alaska. On Monday, that silver was the largest fish caught in the 69th Annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby and also outweighs last year’s winning catch. (Photo provided by Seward Chamber of Commerce)
A man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)

Fishing report: Sockeye fishing good on local rivers

Sockeye are still running

A man fishes in the Kenai River on July 16, 2018, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Peninsula Clarion/file)
A fisher carries his net across a muddy beach during the opening day of the personal use dipnet fishery at the mouth of the Kasilof River in Alaska, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kasilof dipnetting closed

Both Kenai Peninsula personal use dipnet fisheries are done for the season

A fisher carries his net across a muddy beach during the opening day of the personal use dipnet fishery at the mouth of the Kasilof River in Alaska, on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Sockeye salmon fishing remains good on Kenai River

Northern Kenai Fishing Report

A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

Bait restriction on Kasilof River reinstated

The restriction is slated to be in place from Friday, Aug. 2 through Sept. 15

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
A fisher stands with net extended in the Kenai River in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery closed

All anglers with an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon Permit are required to complete online reporting by Aug. 15

A fisher stands with net extended in the Kenai River in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Lisa Gabriel, left, watches as beach seine nets are pulled from the waters of Cook Inlet at a test site for the gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

‘Evolve or die’

East side setnetters look to beach seines as solution to harvest sockeye without killing kings

Lisa Gabriel, left, watches as beach seine nets are pulled from the waters of Cook Inlet at a test site for the gear near Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Sockeye ‘good’ on Kenai, Kasilof

Northern Kenai Fishing Report

A sockeye salmon rests atop a cooler at the mouth of the Kasilof River on Monday, June 26, 2023, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion Alexis Alamillo, of Anchorage, carries a sockeye salmon caught in a dipnet from the mouth of the Kenai River on Wednesday.

Kenai River dipnetting now open 24 hours a day

The liberalization of fishing regulation was effective starting Thursday evening

Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion Alexis Alamillo, of Anchorage, carries a sockeye salmon caught in a dipnet from the mouth of the Kenai River on Wednesday.
Nick Varney

Reeling Em’ In: Cherishing an old fishing friend

Time now for the fishing report for the week of July 15, 2024.

Nick Varney
Sockeye salmon caught in a set gillnet are dragged up onto the beach at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Draft plan published for disbursement of $11.5 million in 2021 and 2022 ESSN disasters

Public comment will be accepted for the draft spend plan until July 24

Sockeye salmon caught in a set gillnet are dragged up onto the beach at a test site for selective harvest setnet gear in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)

King salmon fishing closed on Kasilof starting Monday

The emergency order is being issued to protect returning king salmon, citing weak returns

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
Gina Plank processes sockeye salmon caught on the first day of Kenai River dipnetting with her table set up on the bank of the Kenai River in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai River open for dipnetting

As of Tuesday, a total of 226,000 sockeye had been counted in the Kenai River’s late run

Gina Plank processes sockeye salmon caught on the first day of Kenai River dipnetting with her table set up on the bank of the Kenai River in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
An Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory marker is seen at the outlet of Skilak Lake near Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Sockeye runs strong on Russian, Kasilof rivers

Northern Kenai Fishing Report

An Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulatory marker is seen at the outlet of Skilak Lake near Cooper Landing, Alaska, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Nick Varney

Reeling ‘Em In: Hunting beasts

By the time you read this, lingcod season will be open and I just ran across a draft of a response I sent a reader… Continue reading

Nick Varney
The Russian River Sanctuary Area is seen in the area labeled B in this map provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. (courtesy)

Russian River Sanctuary opens early for sockeye fishing

The area will be open for fishing through July 14

The Russian River Sanctuary Area is seen in the area labeled B in this map provided by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. (courtesy)