2022 Kenai River King Salmon Emergency Order

This past week the Alaska Department of Fish released the 2022 king salmon forecast for the Kenai River. The early run (May/June) is projected to be 4,300 fish which is within the optimum escapement goal range of 3,900 6,600 fish. The late run (July) is projected to be 16,004 fish which is also within the optimum escapement goal of 15,000 to 30,000 fish.

This news was followed up with a slew of emergency orders for king salmon fishing in South Central Alaska.*

Right now, the early run management plan for king salmon sport fishing on the Kenai River has not changed. It allows an angler to retain one king salmon under 34” per day, 2 for the year.

What has changed is the late run Kenai River king salmon management plan. From July 1st to July 31st, there will be no retention of king salmon. The sport fishery will be catch and release only.

What this means for my July guests is we’ll be fishing for king salmon for fun, and chasing red salmon for the freezer (and for fun). If the red salmon run is anything like last year, well, I hope your arms are in good shape before you get here.

I know there are people in my industry that aren’t happy with ADFG making this decision before the season gets underway. After all, the forecast is within the goal range, and there won’t be new data until the sonar counter goes in mid May.

For me, I’m alright with the decision to put the fish first. In the short term, it’s not fantastic for my business, but in the long term, it’s what is needed to protect the iconic Kenai River king salmon runs. I want the world famous to keep on being the world famous well into the future.