The River

Simply put, the Kenai River is the most productive river on the North American road system. Over one million sockeye salmon ascend the Kenai to spawn, bringing massive amounts of nutrients upstream with them. Two massive lakes allow glacial silt to settle giving the Kenai an unreal turquoise color, and importantly moderating the water temperature, extending the growing season from the plankton at the bottom of the food chain to the top.

The Upper River has many of the qualities of the great trout rivers of the west. Between Kenai and Skilak lakes the Kenai is swift and rocky. This section is drift boat only and is a perfect place to learn to fly fish. Numerous trout in the 14 to 20 inch range eat abundant aquatic insects, salmon eggs, smolt and even rotting salmon flesh. Bigger fish in the 20 to 30 inch range are often caught. Dolly Varden are plentiful and there are opportunities to target sockeye and coho salmon.

Downstream of Skilak Lake the Middle River is slow and large. This is where fish of a lifetime are an every day occurrence. During the fall even the little (16 inch) fish are insanely fat as they gorge on eggs from sockeye, king and pink salmon. The middle is open to power boats and can be very crowded, but the size and number of trout make it worth it. Rainbows over 20 inches are common and trout over 30 inches are not out of the question. Often steelhead are caught, making the middle river the only river in the world where catching a 30 inch steelhead is almost disappointing because it didn’t grow in the river. This is a great place to use a spey rod, often trout and cohos will crush a swung fly.

The Lower River is generally considered to be downstream of the Sterling and hosts very instense fisheries for salmon before the river flows into Cook Inlet near the City of Kenai.

 The Fish

Chinook (King) Salmon begin entering the river in May and continue through July, these behemoths spawn in July, August and September. We do not currently target king salmon on the Kenai due to low run number. If you choose to target these we encourage you to catch and release.

Sockeye (Red) Salmon enter the river starting in June finishing up in September. We target these in the upper and middle river in July and August, allowing them to spawn in peace in September.

Pink (Humpy) Salmon only show up on even numbered years, but when they do they show up in staggering numbers. These spawn almost immediately upon entering fresh water in July and August, by September they are all spawning and dying.

Coho (Silver) Salmon enter the river almost year round and can commonly be seen spawning well into March. The peak of the sport fishery is September with October also being good. We commonly catch these when swinging spey setups for large rainbows. A bulk of the fish spawn in October and November concentrating late season trout fishing.

Rainbow Trout Are caught year round, except during the spawning closure in May. The fish in the Kenai are 100% wild, native rainbows, and can be caught with a variety of techniques. The best fishing coincides with the sockeye spawn or “egg drop” in September when virtually every rainbow in the entire system is feeding on as many eggs as possible as quickly as possible. Some rainbows spend time in the ocean and return as steelhead, these are often encountered on the Middle Kenai.

Dolly Varden are a species of char, these fish often make short ocean migrations in search of forage, spawning areas or even lakes to overwinter in. Like rainbows the best time to fish for dollies is in September during the sockeye spawn. These fish spawn in the fall and exhibit amazing colors as the season progresses.

For more info see ABC’s of Alaskan Salmon

Other fish in the Kenai River drainage include arctic grayling, arctic char, lake trout, burbot, eulachon, longnose sucker, stickleback, and various sculpins.

 Your Guide

Patrick McCormick has been in the fishing business forever and has 20+ years of experience on the Kenai River. Patrick loves to teach and share the river and the state with residents and visitors alike. Want to learn to fly fish? Patrick has been guiding since he graduated high school in 2005, and has taught clinics and helped with classes for students from elementary school to college. Patrick has been spey fishing since before skagit lines were widely available and would love to help you learn the beauty and joy from shooting a tight loop on a long rod. Patrick is happy to let guests try gear from his massive quiver of fly rods from light fiberglass, to 14 foot 9 wts. he fishes them all.

Patrick has an intimate knowledge of the river and the fish, spending countless hours trying new and different techniques which allows him to be successful when others are not. He has a deep understanding of the natural and human history of the area, and is excited to pass on this knowledge. Ten years of teaching middle and high school in Alaska has taught Patrick patience and you can rest assured that no matter your experience level you will be treated with class, patience and dignity.

 Why Choose Us

Chugach View Outfitters unlike other outfitters does not mix groups (expect in rare occasions when 2 solo anglers decide to split trip costs). Patrick is one of the few guides on the river who was born in Alaska, lives in Alaska full time, and learned to fly fish on the Kenai River. We offer top notch shore lunch! unrivaled professionalism, and strive to be the best stewards of the resource possible.

Trips

All trips originate at Lake View Outfitters in Cooper Landing and include waders, all gear, including flies, soft drinks, and snacks. Full day trips include shore lunch of reindeer sausage or locally caught salmon. You need to bring warm clothes, alcoholic beverages, and a valid fishing license (can be purchased at the shop).

  Half Day:

A four hour drift on the Upper Kenai, fishing for trout or salmon.

$400 for up to two people, $200 for each additional person.

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Stillwater adventure! Includes float tube waders and fins! Four hours total.

$175/person. Up to two anglers.

Full Day:

Eight hour Drift on the Upper Kenai fishing for trout and salmon. Includes lunch.

$650 for up to two people plus $325 for each additional person.

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Eight hour drift/motor on Middle Kenai, fishing for trout and salmon. Includes lunch.

$750 for up to two people plus $325 for each additional person.

Scenic Floats

Two hour scenic float on Upper Kenai River, includes hors d’oevre.

$75 per person, minimum two people.

Custom Trips

Please contact me for custom trip options, including fly out, Susitna River tributaries, multi-day, steelhead, stillwater, or combination trips.

Trips available starting September 2022

for other times please contact Phil at Lakeview Outfitters

Catch and Release Policy

At Chugach View we primarily catch and release, there may be limited times and places to harvest a salmon, however if you are looking to fill your freezer we suggest you buy salmon or find a different outfitter specializing in harvest. As such we proudly only use barbless hooks, to minimize damage to fish faces!