The Best Fishing Time on the Kenai River in Alaska

According to the mass of publications that adorns the shelves of every entrance to every business in Alaska, there seems to be no time better then another for fishing our beloved Kenai River. Some say it's in May before the salmon begin to return to the rivers, others say September after the main spawning cycle has concluded. Well personally I say they're both right but there is far more to this story then May and September. Those months in between can produce some awfully fine trout fishing.

The Best Time To Go Fishing On The Kenai River!

In my experiences of living here in Kenai Alaska for the past 18 years, would have to be August through October. The reason I choose those months has nothing to do with the number of fish you catch per hour, but rather for the size and power of the fish at that time of year.

In the early part of the season these beautiful rainbow trout have been living under the ice for some time. During these long winter months, there is just so much feed for them to eat. Also, the waters are very cold at this time slowing the trout down until the river temperature reaches up into the 40’s. But as the river water warms, these same trout become more energetic and the voracious feeding habits these trout are famous for swing into full gear.

As spring gives way to summer, the first runs of salmon begin entering the river on their pilgrimage back to their spawning beds. We now enter the time when nearly everyone seems to be on the river at once. The customary mass of anglers that line the river banks along with all those boat loads of fishermen we have become accustomed to seeing have all arrived as scheduled. But never mind the crowds as those folks you see are in pursuit of the famous Kenai River salmon and not the abundant population of resident wild rainbow trout present in the same waters. These salmon bring with them the two items necessary for the massive growth of the Kenai Rainbow Trout, their eggs. Blankets of eggs are deposited on the gravel bottoms of the river and its tributaries like a buffet table at dinner time. It’s feasting time for the trout of the Kenai and salmon caviar is on the carte du jour.

June and July are when you find the largest runs of Sockeye salmon returning to the river, again the trout are putting on the feed bag and dining upon another exquisite meal of salmon egg sushi. Well fed, these gluttonous eaters gorge themselves like a defensive lineman at an all you can eat smorgasbord.

This outstanding rainbow trout fishery has become one of the highlights of the Kenai Peninsula today. Every season, big trophy sized native rainbows are caught that exceed 15 lbs. and are then returned to the waters to continue their ravenous feeding habits.

As for the main trout fishing seasons guided fishing typically begins each year around mid June and continues through the month of September although there is an early and late fishery as well but this greatly depends upon the weather.

Species	How big do they get?	What is the Average size	When should I Go fishing	Best time for fishing
Rainbow Trout	20+ Lbs.	8 Lbs.	April - Oct.	April & June - Oct.
Arctic Char	10+ Lbs.	5 Lbs.	June - Sept.	June - Oct.
Dolly Varden	8+ Lbs.	2 Lbs.	May - Oct.	April & June - Oct.
Lake Trout	15+ lbs.	4 lbs.	May - Oct.	May - Oct. + Ice Fishing in Winter

Why Hire A Professional Kenai River Guide.

Most of the rainbow fishing is done either by fly fishing or the use of Light to medium weight spinning equipment, but no matter how you prefer this excellent trout fishery you can rest assured that your professional Kenai River fishing guide is equipped to make your trip an enjoyable one.