King Salmon

The Kasilof River has some of the best king salmon (also known as chinook salmon) fishing on the Kenai Peninsula! Only a short 15 mile drive from Soldotna, the quieter Kasilof River can be a nice break from the busy Kenai River. First run hatchery fish range from 5-30 lbs, fishing starts May 16th and ends June 30th. Be sure to ask what the regulations are as they do change a lot, especially for king salmon. Typically the limit for king salmon is 2 hatchery fish per day.  Kasilof king salmon will be fished with conventional gear, I will provide all the fishing gear.  The weather in Alaska is unpredictable. Make sure to dress warm, wear layers, a hat, sunglasses and waterproof boots if possible. You will not need waders on a May Kasilof king salmon charter.  Make sure to bring a cooler for your fresh catch at the end of the day. At the end of your charter, I will fillet your fish and I can direct you to one of the local fish processors. The Kasilof River is a non-motorized, drift boat only river. Be sure to buy a king salmon stamp when purchasing your fishing license.

FAQ: How to get to the Kenai Peninsula

Once you arrive in Anchorage, you can rent a car and drive the scenic Seward Highway South for about 2.5 hours to Soldotna. You can also fly straight into Soldotna on a small plane from Anchorage, but you will still need a rental vehicle to get to the boat launches.  Please keep in mind that the traffic will be slow on Alaskan highways in the summer because of the short construction season and heavy tourism traffic, you may want to add an hour or two to your expected drive time.

Accommodations

With long hours of fishing and early morning starts, I highly recommend finding a place to stay overnight while visiting the Kenai Peninsula. I recommend Aspen Hotel Soldotna.  Booking.com , Airbnb and VRBO can also be great tools for finding available options on the Kenai Peninsula. I am more than happy to help you find a place to stay, so feel free to give me a call at any time. Please be sure to book far in advance as prime summer dates book up fast!