Fishing Report: 191K Sockeye hit Kenai River in 1 day, while cohos are coming

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced this week that the Kenai River personal-use dipnet fishery will be open 24 hours through July 31.

On Wednesday, the department reported that 191,328 sockeye salmon were counted in the river via sonar, a major jump from the 30,725 counted the day before. As of Thursday, the Kenai River cumulative sockeye count for 2024 has reached 596,845, with nearly a third reaching the river on Wednesday alone.

”We do a big forecast for sockeye and those numbers have been pretty good, actually higher than we were expecting, " Katelyn Zonneville, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Information Officer for the Division of Sport Fish, said. ”[It was] one of our highest counts in many years.”

The late run of reds is red-hot, and not just on the Peninsula. Fish Creek personal use dipnet fishery in the Mat-Su will open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. from July 20-31.

“Now that the sockeye are coming in really thick, making sure that everyone has their Upper Cook Inlet personal use salmon permit if they are going to participate in dipnetting on the Kasilof, Kenai, Susitna or Fish Creek.” Zonneville added.

The sustainable escapement goal of Fish Creek sockeye salmon is 15,000 to 45,000. The cumulative total was 12,000 as of Wednesday, with more than 3,000 per day from July 14-16. Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon permit harvest and participation must be reported no later than August 31.

As an underwhelming king season comes to a close, the cohos are coming, Zonneville said..

”Silvers come at the end of August, even though we’ve had a few runs of silvers showing up in places like Ship Creek and the Eklutna Tailrace already,” Zonneville said.

Ship Creek is back up and running, she said, with its annual Coho Rodeo slated for July 27, where fishermen may also hook a humpy or catch a chum.

“Pinks and chums will be mixed in with silvers and start showing up any time now. There will be some pinks in the Kenai, you may into a few when you’re fishing for sockeye already,” Zonneville said.

But no matter where or how folks fish, always check the Alaska Fish and Game website for the latest regulations and updated emergency orders.

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