Alaska King Salmon Fishing Trip

The largest King Salmon in the world return every year to the Kenai River on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The King Salmon season starts in May and ends on July 31st. The world record King Salmon of 97lb 4 oz was taken from the Kenai River and numerous fish in the 80lb range are taken every year.

We fish both the Kenai and Kasilof rivers for King Salmon and are prepared to fish which ever system is producing the best fishing at the time, or which ever one you want to fish. One thing to consider while looking into your King Salmon fishing trip is that the Kenai River is closed to guiding for these fish during King Salmon season on Sundays and Mondays, however the Kasilof (a drift boat only fishery) is generally open during those times. This can be a great time to make a travel day out of, a possible relaxation or sight seeing day, halibut charter, or even a day of fishing the Kasilof River (current regulations allow you a total of 5 fish from the Kenai Peninsula, only 2 of which may be from the Kenai river) this in turn means that those Kasilof King Salmon are added bonuses in the freezer.

King Salmon are the largest of all species of Salmon, and it just so happens that the King Salmon entering the Kenai River are among the largest genetic strain of King Salmon in the WORLD! This means that there is always the possibility of catching the next world record, however, your chances of hooking into a fish in the 40, 50 or even 60lb are greater than any river or area in the pacific north west. Fish weighing in from the 30 to 60+ pound range (or larger of course) are what we are after. That much fish, jumping in and out of the water, trying to tangle lines around anything they can, and taking huge runs up, down, and across the river are what dreams are made of. When a King bites you know it! The rod nearly snaps in half, and the force of that fish pulling on the line can make it seem nearly impossible to hold onto! After you set the hook and you have a good grip on the rod, sit down, tighten the strings on that hat, and hold on because one of the most thrilling and electrifying tugs of war is about to begin on the end of your line. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, book this trip, sew some straps to that old trusty fishing hat, and let’s go fishin!

Fishing techniques for King Salmon vary from back trolling to back bouncing. All methods are done out of the comfort of our immaculate power or drift boats and vary depending on what the current water conditions are like. Some days certain methods are more productive than other’s but rest assured ACE guides are always on top of the game. Back trolling is much like trolling but backwards. We slowly work the boat down the river, slightly slower than the current, with the lures working out behind us. When a fish starts to bite we will let them eat it for a period of time that seems like forever and then give them a big hard hook set. Back bouncing can be another popular technique at times and is much like jigging. We work our way over a hole, with just enough line out to touch bottom and slowly work the rod up and down in a vertical motion. We also fish for kings using a method we call “draggin” or “boondoggling” where we run to the top of a hole and drift with the current along the entire length of the hole. This is a great technique and a very exciting way to fish. As with any type of fishing the fish do not always bite on just one method and some day’s one method may work better than others. We strive to make sure we are always up to the minute on what is happening on the river and are always ready to switch gears to the most productive method at that point in time. Just remember that it is salmon fishing and at times can be slow, but when you get the chance to latch on to one of these awesome fish you will be just as hooked on King Salmon fishing as we are. Let us help you make some memories that will last forever, contact us today to set up a King Salmon fishing trip of a lifetime!