Kenai River

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has put restrictions on king salmon fishing on portions of the Kenai River to protect the early run. Assessments on the river show that the run is well below average. The restrictions are for the Kenai River drainage from the Fish and Game regulatory marker located approximately 300 yards downstream from the mouth of the Slikok Creek, upstream to the outlet of Skilak Lake, and in the Moose River from where it meets up with the Kenai River through the northern-most edge of the Sterling Highway Bridge.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, July 27, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Alaska continues to maintain its status as having the cleanest waters in the country.  That's the conclusion in a new report released by the State Department of Environmental Conservation.     The 2010 integrated report shows some Alaska rivers, like the Kenai, have met water quality standards after years of being listed as polluted because of emissions from outboard motors. The DEC says a ban on two stroke engines on the lower portion of the river during peak times, along with volunteer educational efforts by area residents, have made a difference.

As the summer gets chaotic, a relaxing float on the Kenai River can be a wonderful getaway. Starting at Mile 50.1 of the Sterling Highway, it takes about two hours to float down 10 river miles. So we gear up and get into the raft. A simple takeoff and the adventure begins. "The first section we're going to float through is the Chugach National Forest," said guide Kyle Kelley. Kelley is with Alaska Wildland Adventures and knows the river well. "Being here for 13 years, every time you go down something amazes you," said Kelley.

August on the Kenai River is a month where sunny days are the exception, but silvers are the rule. On this day while fishing with Jimmie Jack of Jimmie Jack's Fishing, we're treated to both. For Kenai silvers, a sardine wrap on a kwik fish is an especially deadly combination. "If you get them in there, you get a fresh one in there and they're swimming up, and they just happen to put their nose on it right when you get it fresh, it's over," Jimmie said. Usually bravado like that is taken with a grain of salt, but not today.

In a season of bad news for sports fishing comes even more bad news. Starting midnight on Thursday, August 12, fishing for reds on the Russian River and   Kenai River fly fishing-only waters will close. A poor return of sockeyes is the culprit. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has set the minimum escapement for reds on the Russian River at between 30,000 and 110,000 this year. They're projecting only about 25,000 reds will return. If you have any questions contact Fish and Game.

Last week in the Channel 2 Fishing Report, we came up snake-eyes in our search for silver salmon out of Seward. But in this week's report, the stench of that skunk is a thing of the past as we strike silver early and often on the Kenai River. In September on the Kenai the king season is over and the temperatures are cooling -- but the silver salmon fishing is just heating up. “It's been great since Aug. 1, we've been getting limits or almost limits every day,” said Kenai River guide Jimmie Jack.

by Channel 2 News staff Friday, July 23, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Two water canine teams from Alaska Search and Rescue Dogs will travel to the Kenai River Saturday morning to look for a man who disappeared in the river on Wednesday. On Wednesday, dispatch received a 911 call from a boater on the Kenai River reporting an unknown male was in the river, about 100 feet above the Pillars boat launch. Witnesses reported seeing the shirtless male struggle in the water before going under.

Restrictions on king salmon fishing on the Kenai River go into effect Friday, according to the AK Department of Fish & Game. State officials say in an effort to meet early-run king salmon minimum escapement numbers, the department is restricting the sport fishery to catch-and-release/trophy king salmon fishing only beginning Friday, June 15. In a press release, Fish and Game advised anglers on the Kenai River that the department is...

Fishermen on the Kenai River captured something they didn't expect in late July: smart phone video of a water rescue --that came about after they heard some cries that sounded remarkably human.  A cry for help heard in the video was by Mike Polocz, a guide with Alaska "H20" Pros, who quickly moved in -- to free an exhausted bear cub from a fast moving eddy.   With the help of two other men, he was able to break the current of the river just enough to nudge the bear free with a net.   At that point, the cub was able to swim to the river's bank and climb out. Editor's Note: The Redoubt Reporter reported on the youtube video on August 1st.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service has announced all subsistence fishing on the Kenai river for Chinook salmon will close on Monday. The closure is from the outlet of Skilak Lake. It begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday and will run through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, July 31st. The closure prohibits all subsistence fishing for Chinook salmon, including dip net and road and reel fisheries. Chinook salmon accidentally caught while fishing for other species, may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Fishing is a thread running through the fabric of many Alaska communities. On the Kenai Peninsula, that thread is symbolized by the Kenai River and the king salmon it brings. In a small workshop in Soldotna, strong fishing line is spun onto spools and threaded through fishing poles. Greg Brush is gearing up for another season as a sport-fishing guide. “I came up here and started deck handling and then guiding, and then I started my own business and built it up through the years -- and I'm still going,” Brush said.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is issuing catch-and-release restrictions on Kenai River king salmon sport fishing, due to estimates that rank this year's preseason run as the lowest measured over the past 28 years. Fish and Game officials say the preseason estimate for 2013 indicates a total run of 5,300 kings -- a number which pales in comparison to runs from 1986 through 2012, which measured an average run of 14,000 fish, according to an ADFG report. “We're forecasting a well-below-average run for king salmon on the Kenai River," said Fish and Game biologist Tom Vania.

Two men were attacked by a bear Saturday along the Kenai River, according to Alaska Fish & Game. One of the victims suffered severe injuries and is recovering in an Anchorage hospital. According to Jeff Selinger, the Kenai area wildlife biologist, the two men were setting up a trap line about a half mile upstream from the Kenai Keys area, on the south side of the Kenai River. They separated and were working to set some traps when the bear attacked.  Selinger said “one individual heard his partner screaming and heard a bear roaring, and ran over to investigate and saw a bear attacking his partner.

There is no doubt that flooding this year in the Mat-Su Valley, the Kenai Peninsula and in Seward have caused big disruptions in the lives of people -- but what is it doing to salmon? In the Kenai River, Coho (Silvers) are making their annual runs at the very moment that huge currents -- generated by flooding -- are washing downstream. Those currents are sometimes capable of scouring river bottoms, and forcing salmon eggs that have been buried in the sediment to flow out to sea. Wildlife experts say it's possible that this month's flooding could adversely affect Coho runs 2-to-4 years from now. But they also say a major impact on the run is far from certain.

Emergency Management Officials in Kenai Borough said Tuesday night that the flooded Kenai River had finally crested -- as far south as Soldotna -- but they warned residents not to become complacent.    Heavy mountain rains were still feeding the Kenai, which was measured at half a foot above flood stage in Soldotna at its peak. Because those rainwaters are still working their way down from the mountains, the river is going to take a long time to recede.    The best estimate right now is, that the river will not go below flood stage until Thursday.

The Department of Environmental Conservation is advising Kenai Peninsula property owners near flooding streams and rivers to boil their water used for drinking, cooking, hand washing or dish washing. Wells near the flooded water systems may be contaminated with bacteria or other microorganisms that can cause illness.  Boiling the water should reduce any harmful effects, and the department recommends boiling filtered and settled water vigorously for two minutes. After the flooding subsides, the well and water systems should be disinfected with chlorine and thoroughly flushed, then tested for drinking safety, according to a release by the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

Multiple flood warnings remain in effect as drainages around the state overflow their rivers. Some flood warnings are expected to end Sunday, while some rivers have not yet crested.   A flood warning for the western Prince William Sound, including Seward and Kenai Lake, is in effect until 4 p.m. Monday. According to the National Weather Service, Seward reported about 3 to 5 inches of rainfall Saturday. Resurrection River at Exit Glacier Bridge was above its moderate flood stage.  River levels were expected to begin receding Saturday evening.

To fish or not to fish.  That has been the big question this summer on the Kenai Peninsula. And the Alaska Department of Fish and Game's new DIDSON sonar system has played a deciding role in that. DIDSON stands for “Dual-frequency IDentification SONar.” It was developed for military uses such as harbor surveillance and mine identification, but Alaska is the first to use it to count fish.   The Department has two sonar stations on the Kenai river, one for counting kings and another for sockeyes.  The king counting sonar has been the most controversial this summer, due to one of the lowest runs on record.

The lower Kenai River will again be legal for bait and multiple hooks effective Thursday, as state officials lifted a previous emergency order banning their use but imposed new bag and possession limits for coho salmon on Jim Creek. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the restrictions downstream of the Sterling Highway bridge in Soldotna are no longer necessary, after sonar recorded an estimated 16,869 king salmon on the river as of Monday. “The (sonar-based)

Fishermen on the Kenai River captured something they didn't expect in late July: smart phone video of a water rescue --that came about after they heard some cries that sounded remarkably human.  A cry for help heard in the video was by Mike Polocz, a guide with Alaska "H20" Pros, who quickly moved in -- to free an exhausted bear cub from a fast moving eddy.   With the help of two other men, he was able to break the current of the river just enough to nudge the bear free with a net.   At that point, the cub was able to swim to the river's bank and climb out. Editor's Note: The Redoubt Reporter reported on the youtube video on August 1st.