Kasilof River Fishing Guides
The Kenai Peninsula's other salmon river, draining Tustumena Lake to Cook Inlet and fished hard for kings and sockeye with a fraction of the Kenai's crowds.
Guides on the Kasilof River
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About the Kasilof River
The Kasilof drains Tustumena Lake and runs about twenty-five miles west across the Kenai lowlands to Cook Inlet, and it lives permanently in the shadow of the Kenai River a few miles north. That is the main argument for fishing it. The Kasilof carries the same species on much the same schedule, runs glacial grey rather than the Kenai’s famous turquoise, and sees a fraction of the boat traffic and bank pressure, which for anyone who has fought for a spot on the Kenai in July is worth a great deal. The gauge near Kasilof sits in the lower river and tracks the stage and the glacial discharge that drive everything.
Chinook salmon are the headline run and arrive in two pushes, an early hatchery-supported run in May and June and a wild run through July, fished mostly by drift boat because much of the productive water is only reachable that way. Sockeye arrive in enormous numbers from late June and support both a sport fishery and the well-known personal-use dipnet fishery at the river mouth. Coho follow in August and September and are the fish many locals rate highest. Pink salmon flood in on even years, steelhead show in small numbers in autumn, and Dolly Varden and resident rainbow trout hold throughout and provide the quiet fishing between runs. Guides working the Kenai almost all run the Kasilof too.
The gauge reports stage and a discharge estimate but no temperature. On a glacial river the stage trace is the most useful thing available, because glacial melt drives both water level and visibility: a sharp rise during a warm spell means more melt, more silt and shorter visibility, which changes presentation entirely, while a cool spell drops the river and clears it. Read the trend over several days rather than a single reading, and plan around run timing first and water level second. June through September is the season, and the river is effectively closed by winter.
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Access
Kasilof - the gauge community at the lower river and the main road access.
Crooked Creek State Recreation Site - the principal bank fishery and campground on the lower river.
Kasilof River mouth - the Cook Inlet terminus and the site of the personal-use dipnet fishery.
Tustumena Lake - the glacial lake at the head of the river and the source of its flow.
Soldotna - the regional hub north, with the broadest choice of guides, lodging and tackle.
Kenai - the larger town at the mouth of the Kenai River, with air and road connections.
Clam Gulch - the community south along the inlet, used as a base by visiting anglers.
Seasons
Spring: quiet until late May, when the early king run arrives and the drift boat fishery opens the lower river.
Summer: the heart of the year, with wild kings through July and sockeye in enormous numbers from late June into August.
Fall: coho take over through August and September and are the best fishing of the season, with steelhead a bonus.
Winter: effectively closed, with ice, darkness and no open runs, and the river left alone until spring.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Kasilof River?
Anglers target Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Dolly Varden, Pink Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Sockeye Salmon, Steelhead on the Kasilof River in Alaska.
Where can you access the Kasilof River?
Kasilof - the gauge community at the lower river and the main road access. Crooked Creek State Recreation Site - the principal bank fishery and campground on the lower river. Kasilof River mouth - the Cook Inlet terminus and the site of the personal-use dipnet fishery. Tustumena Lake - the glacial lake at the head of the river and the source of its flow. Soldotna - the regional hub north, with the broadest choice of guides, lodging and tackle. Kenai - the larger town at the mouth of the Kenai River, with air and road connections. Clam Gulch - the community south along the inlet, used as a base...
When is the best time to fish the Kasilof River?
Spring: quiet until late May, when the early king run arrives and the drift boat fishery opens the lower river. Summer: the heart of the year, with wild kings through July and sockeye in enormous numbers from late June into August. Fall: coho take over through August and September and are the best fishing of the season, with steelhead a bonus. Winter: effectively closed, with ice, darkness and no open runs, and the river left alone until spring.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Kasilof River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Alaska agency site: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.main