Right now: 75 for Dolly Varden, worth the tripTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours
Dolly Varden, hour by hour
Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.
7512 pm
75
75
723 pm
77
77
806 pm
80
80
809 pm
80
80
80Sun
80
80
803 am
80
80
706 am
70
70
709 am
70
70
7012 pm
70
70
803 pm
80
80
806 pm
80
80
809 pm
80
80
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out
Right now
Water
38°F
Dolly Varden range 38–58°
Wind
5 mph
From the northeast
Flow
3,340 cfs
steady · -2% in 24 h
Light
Daylight
Sunset 4:51 pm
Sky
Slight Chance Light Snow
21% chance of rain
Air
29°F
NWS hourly forecast
Barometer
Rising
Measured, last 3 hours
Moon
5% lit
Waning crescent
What’s biting
Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Alaska non-tidal regulations for these waters.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Inside Dolly Varden's active range. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Holds 1–15 ft down.
Keep
16" maximum · 1 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kenai River flowing waters: Arctic char/Dolly Varden are 1 a day, 1 in possession, and it must be under 16". Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Below sockeye salmon's active range (40–60°F). Holds 1–20 ft down.
Keep
3 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Lower Kenai River: June 20–August 15, 6 sockeye 16" or longer a day, 12 in possession, under the late-run king salmon plan. The rest of the year, 3 a day (6 in possession) in combination with chum and coho. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Below coho salmon's active range (44–58°F). Holds 10–120 ft down.
Keep
2 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Lower Kenai River: no coho may be kept December 1–June 30. July 1–August 31, 2 a day in combination with chum and sockeye; September 1–November 30, 3 a day, all of which may be coho. A coho 16" or longer that is taken out of the water counts toward your limit. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Below rainbow trout's active range (45–68°F). Holds 3–20 ft down.
Keep
16" maximum · 1 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Lower Kenai River mainstem: 1 rainbow/steelhead a day, 1 in possession, and it must be under 16". Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Below pink salmon's active range (42–60°F). Holds 1–15 ft down.
Keep
6 a day
Open. Keep fish within the limits. Kenai River flowing waters: open year-round to pink salmon, separate from the other salmon. 16" or longer, 6 a day, 6 in possession; under 16", 10 a day. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.
Out of seasonOut of season here today. Check the agency before fishing.
Water
38°
32°42–58° · ideal 50°68°
Why
Light breeze — ruffles the surface so fish spook less, and casting is easy. Settled river level — clearer water, easier wading. Below chinook salmon's active range (42–58°F). Holds 15–150 ft down.
Keep
20" minimum · 1 a day
Out of season here today. Check the agency before fishing. King salmon fishing in the Kenai River, the Anchorage area and most Kenai Peninsula fresh water is closed in 2026 by emergency order. Do not fish for kings, and release any you hook immediately. Alaska changes limits by Emergency Order in season, so check the ADF&G emergency orders the day you fish.
Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works
Emergency orders in effect
Alaska changes limits and seasons in season. These ADF&G orders cover the Northern Kenai area and override the limits below where they differ.
The most famous salmon river in Alaska — glacial-turquoise water that produces world-record king salmon and astonishing sockeye runs through Soldotna and Kenai. Sockeye ("reds") are flipped by the thousands in July, kings and silvers run the main stem, and trophy rainbow trout and Dolly Varden hold below the spawning salmon. Live USGS flow and water temperature at Soldotna read the river.
King salmon fishing on the Kenai is closed in 2026 by Emergency Order. In the lower river, sockeye are 6 a day June 20–August 15 and 3 a day the rest of the year. Rainbows here must be under 16".
Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.
12 pm
3 pm
6 pm
9 pm
Sun
3 am
6 am
9 am
12 pm
3 pm
6 pm
9 pm
Kasilof River13 mi · AlaskaBest today 4 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal
Ninilchik River37 mi · AlaskaSteelhead, best today 4 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal
Russian River (Cooper Landing)37 mi · AlaskaNo window clears the bar
33Sit it out
Deep Creek (Ninilchik)38 mi · AlaskaSteelhead, best today 4 pm to tomorrow 12 am
68Marginal
Questions people ask
Do I need a fishing license to fish at Kenai River (Soldotna)?
Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Kenai River (Soldotna) you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website
What fish are commonly targeted at Kenai River (Soldotna)?
Kenai River (Soldotna) is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Sockeye Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Rainbow Trout, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.
When is the best time to fish at Kenai River (Soldotna)?
It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Kenai River (Soldotna) against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.
What kind of access does Kenai River (Soldotna) have?
Kenai River (Soldotna) has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp. King salmon fishing on the Kenai is closed in 2026 by Emergency Order. In the lower river, sockeye are 6 a day June 20–August 15 and 3 a day the rest of the year. Rainbows here must be under 16".
Which state's fishing regulations apply at Kenai River (Soldotna)?
state agency regulations apply at Kenai River (Soldotna). Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.
Is Kenai River (Soldotna) tidal water?
No. Kenai River (Soldotna) is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.
Press / anywhere to search. Towns list the closest spots.
