Kenai River AK – Float Trip

I’m also headed to Alaska this year to do some fishing with family and friends. We will be there the last 10 days in July and plan to fish the Kenai. We don’t mind the “combat” fishing for sockeye salmon so we plan to do that a number of days, but I would also like to get away from the crowds at some point. I was thinking a float trip might be fun, does anyone have any recommendations? I think they offer float trips where they drop you off and pick you up farther down the river? Has anyone done this?

We are also planning to take a day trip out of Seward for Halibut and silver salmon if anyone had a great Captain they’d recommend. Thanks!

It has been a few years but I spent the entire Summer up there one year working and of course fishing. July is pretty much Red or Sockeye Salmon time. The Kenai River has both an early and late run and in July they should overlap sometime.

Brings up some great memories fishing up there but like you mentioned “combat fishing” is pretty common. We used to even fish at night to ovoid the crowds on the upper Kenai near the Russian River confluence.

What I remember is wherever you can easily drive to and fish will have people and lots of them on the peninsula. One thing we always heard but never did is hike up the Russian river a few miles (trib. of the Kenai) for Rainbows. Might be worth checking into. There is probably places on the Kenai to float and fish during the Sockeye run that are worth checking out. At least you could ovoid the crowds this way. When I was up there we didn’t have to money to even consider a float trip. Spent all Summer up there working/fishing and came back with $17 in my pocket.

The entire Kenai isn’t packed, only where it is easily accessible.

Check this guide out his name is Bob used him several times about 7 years ago. He fish’s the kasilof river which is about 10 miles south of the kenai. There wasn’t as much fishing pressure and great fishing. he has a lot of packages, fly outs float trips etc. He set me up on a halibut trip with Cpt Bill( short guy as big around as he was tall great guy funny)out of deep creek. great time. check out his web site for more info.
http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/

Thanks guys for the info. I booked a float trip with Bob. It’ll be fun to get away from the people for a day and catch some salmon in a more remote area. I also have a trip out of Seward for silver salmon. We might take a trip out of Homer for some Halibut too?

As much as I love chasing walleye I sure am looking forward to this trip. I’ll post some pics! If things go as planned I’ll need some recipes for smoked salmon soon!

I’m flying into Anchorage tomorrow and returning the 27th. Silvers, sockeye, and halibut are the main target. I also spend a week inland at Port Allsworth and will be looking for rainbows, arctic char, and grayling.

One tip is that the cheap/best way to get fish home is to buy a cooler while your up there and bring it home as a checked bag. U are allowed up to 5# of dry ice in a checked bag. If ur fish is already frozen that should be plenty for the flight. A lot cheaper and reliable than shipping next day from anchorage.

We were there for 10 days about 8 years ago. Of all the things we did and ways we fished the float trip was by far the best. A lot of the areas we floated thru had no one around and it seemed like you were in the middle of no where. That was the last week of July into first week of August. We got all the sockeye we wanted and quite a few silvers. Man I want to go back some day!! Have a great time

Hey Joe, for a halibut trip that’s not nearly as long a drive as Homer, take a look at Chihuly Charters out of Deep Creek. We’ve fished with them for many years and always had a great time. Deep Creek is the spot where they launch the big halibut boats directly into the surf using a front-end loader, it’s pretty cool!

We usually stay at Kenai Riverbend Lodge when we go up for the sockeye run, and they have a nice stretch of shore right on the Kenai where the sockeye fishing is as good as it gets and no crowds.

Try it here… you said you didn’t mind combat fishing

I didn’t know they had a live cam for this. Very cool!

Brian G wrote:

We usually stay at Kenai Riverbend Lodge when we go up for the sockeye run, and they have a nice stretch of shore right on the Kenai where the sockeye fishing is as good as it gets and no crowds.

This place looks great! We will be in Soldotna, I think I’ll swing in here to take a look. We are the type of guys that like to rough it but I could be talked into this for the next trip up!

Chambers, we plan to bring fish back on the plane but I messed up a little. I booked with Delta and they do not allow as much weight in your checked bags. Only 50# per bag. I think Sun Country and Alaska Air are much more lenient… up to a 100#.

Sticker, It’s been 15 years since I fished the Kenai last and I hope it doesn’t take me another 15 to get back up there!

Brian, I’ve heard about Deep Creek. If Chihuly Charters has a 6 pack boat still available we might be interested thanks!

Joe:

Not sure where you saw Alaska Airlines allows 100 lbs per bag – they will charge you a bunch for an overweight bag or fish box if it exceeds 50 lbs. It has been 50 lbs per checked bag for at least the last 13 years we have been going up and fishing. You can pay for extra checked bags or boxes of fish.

ClearCreek

Buffalo Fishhead wrote:

Joe:

Not sure where you saw Alaska Airlines allows 100 lbs per bag – they will charge you a bunch for an overweight bag or fish box if it exceeds 50 lbs. It has been 50 lbs per checked bag for at least the last 13 years we have been going up and fishing. You can pay for extra checked bags or boxes of fish.

ClearCreek

Thanks I was told Alaska let you take 100# bags, I guess I didn’t confirm that though. SunCountry I confirmed allows 100# though, so I’d recommend SunCountry to anyone going up looking to take fish back.

if you are in Soldotna you have to go to Sal’s Klondike Diner for the world larges cinnamon roll!!!

So being we are traveling in a motor home we are looking for a place that will vac seal and freeze our fish. I think we will be near Soldotna the most so somewhere near there would be great. I see a few places online but does anyone have any recommendations?