Opening day for the upper Kenai River is June 11th. Fishing for trout early season can be very good. Russian river Sockeyes are heading in as well. Sockeye numbers tend to increase each day until about the 27th then the first run begins to taper off.
Sockeye Salmon Forecast
In 2025, a run of approximately 6.9 million sockeye salmon is forecast to return to Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) with an estimate of 4.9 million available for harvest (commercial, sport, personal use, and subsistence).
The Kenai River sockeye salmon forecast is approximately 4.2 million fish. The 2025 Kenai River forecast is 302,000 (7.5%) fish more than the historical (1986–2024) average run of 3.88 million fish and 968,000 (26%) fish more than the recent 10-year (2015–2024) average run of 3.2 million fish. For sockeye salmon runs 2.3–4.6 million fish, the Kenai River Late-Run Sockeye Salmon Management Plan (KRLSSMP) stipulates ADF&G manage to the SEG range of 750,000–1,300,000 and achieve an in river goal of 1.1 to 1.4 million fish. The department will formally reassess the UCI sockeye salmon run after July 20.
The Kasilof River sockeye salmon run forecast is approximately 1.2 million fish. The 2025 forecast is 311,000 fish (29%) greater than the historical (1986–2024) average run of 930,000 fish and 261,000 fish (24%) greater than the recent 10- year (2015–2024) average run of approximately 978,000.
Approximately 404,000 and 105,000 sockeye salmon are forecast to return to the Susitna River and Fish Creek respectively in 2025. The 2025 Susitna River sockeye salmon forecast is approximately 22,000 fish (6%) below the historical (2002–2024) average run of 430,000 fish but approximately 29,500 fish (7.5%) greater the recent 10-year (2015–2024) average run of 380,000 fish. The 2025 Fish Creek sockeye salmon forecast is approximately 2,600 fish greater than the recent 10-year average run size (2.5%) of 102,400.
Division of Commercial Fisheries
Forrest Bowers, Acting Director
Fish and Game forecasts escapement goals for the Kenai River to be between 1 and 1.4 million fish. Kenai River late-run sockeye salmon enter the lower Kenai in early July, peak in late July, and are generally complete by early to mid-August. Most fish arrive during the last two weeks of July. The peak of the run generally lasts 7-10 days, and at the peak of a good run, it is not uncommon to see sonar estimates of greater than 20,000 fish per day. These fish are headed for many streams throughout the area, as well as the Russian River, the main stem of the upper Kenai River, Kenai Lake and Quartz creek
Information contained above can be found in more detail at the following link:
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1664306824.pdf
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