2014 Kenai River Early-Run King Salmon Sport Fishery Closure
Planning
to visit the Kenai Peninsula this summer? If so you might want to leave your fishing rods at home.
The 2014 salmon fishing closure on the Kenai River for early-run King Salmon is now for real. Once
again this once great fishery that was known world over has come to an abrupt end before the first
lure ever hit the water.
The early-run King Salmon fishery will be closed from 12:01 a.m., Thursday, May 1, through 11:59 p.m., Monday, June 30, 2014. Effectively, for the first two months of summer, fishing for King salmon on the Kenai will be limited to memories of a long lost time.
Hold on it gets worse from here. From 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, July 1, through 11:59 p.m., Thursday, July 31, 2014 fishing for King Salmon in the middle Kenai River is effectively closed too. That's right, now this popular stretch of the Kenai River is closed to King Salmon fishing through July 2014! Here is what the emergency order states: From approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of Slikok Creek, upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake, and in the Moose River from its confluence with the Kenai River upstream to the northernmost edge of the Sterling Highway bridge, king salmon fishing is closed. No king salmon of any size may be retained. King salmon may not be targeted and any king salmon caught while fishing for other species may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.
Moving along from the World Famous Kenai River —
Kenai Peninsula King Salmon Fishing Closures
Kasilof River anglers are advised that the department is implementing the following regulations for the 2014 early-run fishery. Effective 12:01 a.m., Thursday, May 1 through 11:59 p.m., Monday, June 30, 2014, anglers will be allowed to harvest only hatchery-produced king salmon. Hatchery-produced king salmon are distinguished from naturally-produced king salmon in the Kasilof River by a healed adipose fin-clip scar. The adipose fin is the small fleshy fin on the back just ahead of the tail. The bag and possession limit for hatchery-produced king salmon will be reduced to one fish in the Kasilof River.
Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River are also experiencing very low returns of King Salmon so major restrictions are going into effect on those waters too.
The following sport fishing restrictions are in effect in the Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River drainage's from Thursday, May 1 through Monday, June 30, 2014:
- The Anchor River is closed to sport fishing on Wednesdays.
- The Anchor River drainage is closed to sport fishing upstream of the Old Sterling Highway Bridge located approximately 550 feet below the junction of the North and South forks Anchor River.
- The combined annual limit is 2 king salmon 20 inches or greater in length for fish harvested in the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River and all marine waters south of the latitude of the mouth of the Ninilchik River to the latitude of Bluff Point.
- Anglers may only use one unbaited, single-hook, artificial lure on the Anchor River, Deep Creek, and Ninilchik River.
As you can see, sportfishing on the Kenai Peninsula is just about shot and as far as King Salmon fishing, that's all but a distant memory.
Skilak Lake Road Campgrounds
- Engineer Lake Campground
- Hidden Lake Campground
- Lower Ohmer Lake Campground
- Lower Skilak Lake Campground
- Upper Skilak Lake Campground