Alaska Fishing Lodge, Kenai River, Soldotna

Plan your Alaska Fishing Adventure

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To begin planning your Alaska Fishing trip, several factors are worth considering. There are a number of key questions to ask when planning any Alaska Fishing adventure. Even if fishing is not your primary goal, researching the best dates for the fishing portion of your Alaska visit can help a lot. Just like planning a fishing trip to any Alaska location, a certain degree of homework and research is required to ensure you are well prepared. It is important to be realistic about your fishing success especially if you are targeting a species like Alaska king salmon. Many uncontrollable factors such as weather, water conditions, run strength and timing are all integral parts of every fishing trip to Alaska.

Start planning your Alaska Fishing trip here:

When to visit Alaska?

From Mid May to Mid October, the Kenai River, nearby Kasilof River as well as the salt waters of Cook Inlet, fly out locations on the west side of cook Inlet and beyond all offer every sort of Alaska fishing adventure possible. Your research begins with what fish you’d like to pursue and when the peak times are to catch them. Are you wanting to catch a really big fish or just have a lot of action? Are you wanting to take a lot of fish home or are you more interested in overall numbers and catch and release? Do you prefer less crowded conditions or are you ok with fishing in close proximity to other anglers? These are all beginning questions when narrowing down some dates. You will likely have more of your own and we are always available by phone or email to help answer these Alaska Fishing questions and many more.

Where to stay?

All four of our individual Alaska Fishing Lodges are custom built by us and are very well taken care of. These are completely furnished with full kitchens, full bathroom, SAT TV, phone, outdoor deck with gas grill, and also wireless internet access. While we do not just rent the cabins to non-fishing guests, we do try to make them very affordable for group of friends, families, etc…that are looking for a private Alaska vacation home to base their Alaska fishing trip from. Click here for more complete descriptions of our four Alaska Fishing Lodges.

As is often the case, our four cabins can be full for the dates you are planning to visit. We regularly use a number of privately owned Alaska cabins in the area and many are also right on the Kenai river. We are always happy to research an alterative cabin for you and given a day of two we can normally find some very good options.

What to do?

For many visitors to the Kenai River, the only answer for “what to do…” is FISH! Throughout the summer, the Kenai Peninsula offers every type of fishing experience Alaska has to offer. Choosing when and how to pursue the different salmon species as well as some of the resident fish like trout and dolly varden begins by researching the historical run timing and then prioritizing what you want to catch. Here is a list of the major returns to our area:

Early run Kenai King Salmon:
- May-June, peak: June 10-25

Russian River Sockeye Salmon
-May-June, Peak June 10-25

Early Run Kasilof King Salmon
-May-June, peak June 1-15

Late Run Kenai King Salmon
-July, peak July 10-25

Late Run Kenai River Sockeye
-July, peak July 10-25
Early Run Kenai Silver Salmon
-August, peak Aug 10-25

Kenai Pink Salmon (even years only)
-August, peak Aug 5-20

Late Run Kenai Silver Salmon
-September/October, peak Sept 10-20

Kenai River Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden:
-Opens June 11, good all season, particularly in the fall below Skilak Lake.

For more detailed information on the different runs, fishing trips, etc…, please see: http://www.mgfalaska.com/specific.html

What to expect?

Much of what to expect rests with having realistic expectations as well as doing some homework prior to the trip to familiarize yourself with where you are going, where you are staying and what you will be doing. Many times this will help alleviate any surprises or small details that might bog down your trip. Just like anywhere in the world, fishing in Alaska is just that….fishing. It comes with no guarantees or promises only infinite opportunity and a wealth of potential. Some factors that are beyond our control, namely weather and river conditions, can effect the fishing at times but altering our locations and techniques can help greatly. Salmon run timing and strengths can vary greatly from year to year. Every season is very different from the last, it simply becomes one day at a time and each trip is very important to us. We will always do everything we can to make sure your trip is successful.

How much will it cost?

The major costs are as follows:

Lodging: http://www.mgfalaska.com/rates.html

Fishing: http://www.mgfalaska.com/fishrates.html

Car Rental: http://www.mgfalaska.com/travel.html

Food, Drink, Gratuities

Fishing License: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=license.main

Fish Processing: We will clean your fish as part of your guided trip but you will then need to get it processed from there. The processor we recommend in Soldotna is Ed’s Kasilof Seafoods and they charge $1.40 per pound to have the fish vacuum sealed, frozen and held for either pick up or shipping. Most will keep it there for the duration of their stay and then either have it boxed for the airplane and take it home as luggage (fish will stay frozen for up to 36 hours), or have it shipped overnight once you return home. Taking it with you as luggage on the airplane is definitely the most cost effective option.

Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker • 1-800-622-1177

Plan your Alaska Fishing Adventure