Can you fish the Kenai River without a Guide

The title says it all, and we get asked this questions A LOT; “Can you fish the Kenai River without a guide?” and simply put, YES you definitely can! The State of Alaska along with organizations like the KRSA have put in a ton of work to provide anglers with plenty of bank access! Here is a little how to guide on How to fish the Kenai River without a guide.

First, we will go over access; there are plenty of spots on both the Upper River, along with the Lower. Here are a few spots that really stand out!

On the Lower River:

  • Soldotna Visitors Center; at the bridge on the Sterling Highway the fishing area is just below the bridge on a 250 foot boardwalk provided for your fishing pleasure.
  • Centennial Park in Soldotna has some good access for bank fishing. The area along the boat ramp is expecially popular and provides easy access for the handicapped fisherman. Access is from the stoplight off the Sterling Highway and Kalifornsky Beach Road. Turn west onto Kalifornsky Beach Road and again shortly after follow the signs into the park. This is a very well known, and very popular spot!
  • Cunningham Park near Kenai has a new boardwalk available for fishing. Access is of Beaver Loop Road. This is a good area to catch Kings, Silvers and Sockeyre as they enter the river. Best fishing is during the incoming tide. To locate Cunningham Park, turn onto Beaver Loop Road from Bridge Access Road in Kenai. The park is just a short distance up the road on your right.
  • Kenai Flats State Recreation Site is at the southern end of the Warren Ames bridge between Kalifornsky Beach Road and the city of Kenai.Bank fishing areas on the Kenai River below the town of Soldotna.

On the Middle River:

  • Bings Landing State Recreation Area, the turnoff is located at mile 80.5 of the Sterling Highway, follow signs to parking area. Fee area where a boardwalk is available for bank fishing.
  • Issac Walton State Park in Sterling. Here is where the Moose River enters the Kenai. Bank fishing and a boat launch are available in the campground. Fee Area.
  • Morgans Landing turn off located at mile 83.5 on the Sterling Highway, follow signs to parking area. Fee area where a boardwalk is available for bank fishing.
  • Swiftwater Campground in Soldotna is located behind Great Bear Ford and Fred Meyer on East Redoubt Road. Fee area where a 1200 foot long boardwalk is available for bank fishing. Nice campground with desent river access.
  • Soldotna Creek Park is accessed beside the Tesoro gas station in the center on Soldotna along the Sterling Highway. Here you will find a 500 foot long boardwalk provided for bank fishing.
  • Rotary Park in Soldotna is accessed via Funny River Road located across the bridge at the traffic light. Turn towards Kenai Supply and follow the road 2.5 miles to the park. There is a 625 foot long boardwalk provided for bank fishing.

On the Upper River:

  • Cooper Creek Campground at mile 50.5 of the Sterling Highway. This is just a short distance downstream from the town of Cooper Landing.
  • Russian River Campground at mile 54 on the Sterling Highway. Parking is available in the campground but this is a very popular area for sockeye salmon and thus very busy. Over 1000 fishermen can be seen fishing here on any given day during the sockeye run.
  • Russian River Ferry Crossing at mile 55 on the Sterling Highway. Parking is available at the old Sportsmans Lodge parking area and near the Russian River ferry parking lot.
  • Sterling Highway River Access Points from the Russian River Ferry at mile 55 to the Kenai Wildlife Refuge on the Sterling Highway. Parking is available in designated areas along the sides of the road for a number of miles past the ferry crossing.
  • Jim’s Landing along Skilak Lake Road has now been closed to bank fishing. This is a critical habitat rehabilitation area thus is barricaded off with the bright orange plastic netting for easy recognition.
  • Kenai River Canyon. This area is accessed via a number of trails along Skilak Lake Road. Although short, these trails can be steep and a good pair of hiking boots is suggested for the trails.

Now that you know where to go, let’s go over the How. Kenai Salmon Fishing is really like nothing else in the world. Where else in the world can you stand ankle deep in water with hundreds of thousands of fish passing just a few feet away from you? If you plan to fish the Kenai River without a guide; you’ll need to get your gear together. Here is a simple list of gear we recommend to get you started:

Kenai River Fishing Rods:

If you’re fishing for Kenai River King Salmon, you’ll want a fairly stout rod in the 12-25lb. range. We can go on and on about the different types and what they’re used for, along with the benefits of both, but for the sake of the article and to keep things simple, a stout Spinning rod loaded with 30 pound test will do you just fine!

If you plan to fish for Kenai River Silver Salmon, you’ll want to use an 8-9 foot spinning rod in the 12-15lb range. We like to use Spinning rods for Silvers because it allows you to use smaller gear and baits, without sacrificing the backbone needed to fight these amazing fish.

If you plan to fish for Kenai River Sockeye, you’ll want to use an 8-9 weight fly rod equipped with a decent fly reel that has a good drag system! Having a good drag system is a must when fishing for these powerful fish! We load our fly reels with 30lb. P-Line monofilament, it helps the line and gear get down quicker than fly line.

Kenai River Salmon Fishing Gear:

For Kenai River King Salmon and Silver Salmon, there are two different methods that are affective when fishing from the bank; tossing spoons or Spinners and bobber fishing with a good cured Salmon egg. When fishing with spoons or spinners, you’ll want to cast slightly upriver and slowly reel them back in, allowing the gear to bounce softly across the bottom of the river. Remember; these rivers are very glacially influenced and the longer you keep your gear in front of the fish, the better change you’ll have of getting bit. The other method is bobber fishing with a good cured Salmon egg cluster. (We will have a post on curing your own eggs up shortly). When fishing Salmon eggs, you’ll want to learn how to tie a loop knot, and decide what bobber you prefer. We like to use a 1/2oz slip bobber, with a 3/8oz slinky weight and then tie those to a leader that is about 16/24″ in length. Tuning the technique takes time and has a lot to do with your personal preference!

When you are fishing for Kenai River Sockeye Salmon, you’ll want to stock up on what we call “Russian River Flies”. You’ll run your main line to one side of a fixed snap swivel (another post to come) and the other side to a 24″ leader with a Russian River Fly at the end of that. The technique you’ll use is called “flossing”, where you sling your gear slightly upstream, between 4-10 ft from where you’re standing and slowly let it drift downstream. As your gear bounces across the bottom of the river, it will eventually land horizontally across a Sockeye Salmons mouth, causing you to set the hook! Most people don’t believe it works, UNTIL IT DOES! Its an addicting technique to use, and it provides nonstop action when the fish are running!

Other Kenai River Fishing Gear:

Because you’ll be fishing without a guide, you’ll want to make sure that you have other gear on hand as well; here are a few things that we recommend that you keep with you as well;

  • A Sturdy net; sometimes having a good net, or not, can be the difference between landing that catch of a lifetime or watching it swim away!
  • Bug Repellent; the famous Alaska “bird sized” mosquitos can be a real pain sometimes! There are several different types of bug repellant companies and types out there, but we’ve found that the Organic Bug Repellant containing Eucalyptus and Lemon have been the best at keeping those monsters away!
  • Life Jackets; this can be a list in its own really. If you have little ones, or are concerned with wading in the river, then make sure you bring along a good life jacket! Life Jackets really do save lives!
  • Bear Spray; You’ll want to keep a good can of bear spray around (and know how to use it!) The Kenai Peninsula, especially around the Russian River is loaded with bears, and they’re doing the same thing that you’re doing… trying to catch fish!

Where to get gear in Kenai or Soldotna:

There are a few different places in the towns of Kenai & Soldotna that you can get gear from. We frequent these stores for our gear as well, and the people there are all very helpful! If you have the chance, take a few minutes and stop in and say hello, I’m sure they’d love to see you.

We hope this post helps you when planning your trip to Alaska! If you plan to Fish The Kenai River Without A guide, make sure you do some good planning and research! If you have any questions, or would like to learn more, feel free to leave a comment below or simply reach out to us! That’s what we’re here for.

 

Leave A Comment