Riverside lodge
Guided drift-boat days on the Kenai or Kasilof with meals and a bed on the water.
Alaska fishing · river · No fee to you
Kenai Peninsula Fishing
River salmon at dawn, halibut by lunch.
Drive-to Alaska: river salmon in the morning, Cook Inlet halibut the next day.
Overview
Why Kenai Peninsula.
The Kenai Peninsula is the most accessible great fishing in Alaska. It is a drive from Anchorage, the lodging runs from riverside cabins to full-service lodges, and you can fish a glacial river for salmon in the morning and run out of Homer, Ninilchik or Seward for halibut the next day.
The Kenai River is famous for king salmon and the July sockeye run; the Kasilof and Russian rivers add more water and fewer people. Cook Inlet halibut charters leave from the beach at Ninilchik and Deep Creek, where boats are launched by tractor at low tide.
Species & season
What you'll catch, and when.
- King salmon
- Sockeye
- Silver salmon
- Halibut
Typical season: May – Sept
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Runs shift with the year. Tell us the fish you want most and we'll aim your dates at it.
Trip types
Ways to do Kenai Peninsula.
Combo week
Three river days plus two saltwater days, one lodge as home base.
Self-drive with day charters
Cabins or a rental house, guided days booked as you like them.
Things to do
Build the days around Kenai Peninsula.
Add any of these to your trip. Your planner books them with people we trust, at no fee to you.
Half-day fishing charter
Four to five hours on the water with a licensed captain. Good first day or last day.
Full-day charter
The real deal: farther out, more species, more fish in the box.
Fly-out fishing day
Float plane to a river or lake nobody else can reach. Bucket-list stuff.
Fish processing & shipping
Vacuum-packed, frozen and waiting at your door when you get home.
Bear viewing or glacier day
The trip the non-anglers talk about afterwards. Boat or float plane, half a day.
Lodge dinner
Your catch cooked for the table, and everyone lying about the size of it.
Getting there
Fly to Anchorage (ANC), then a 2.5 to 4 hour drive south. Rental car recommended.
We book the flights, the floatplane and the transfers as part of the trip, so you only have to show up.
Good questions
Before you go.
When are the salmon runs?
Kings run late May through July, sockeye peak in mid-July, silvers arrive in August and run into September.
Do I need a license?
Yes, an Alaska sport fishing license and a king salmon stamp if targeting kings. We will tell you exactly what to buy.
Can non-anglers have fun?
Very much. Glacier cruises from Seward, bear viewing, hiking, the Homer Spit and good restaurants throughout.
Traveler reviews
What travelers said about Kenai Peninsula.
Ready for Kenai Peninsula?
Tell us what you want to catch and who's coming. A person who has fished it will reply with a plan. No fee to you.