Kasilof River Silver Salmon Fishing Trips
Silver salmon in the Kasilof River begin arriving in early August, with peak numbers occurring from late August into early September. Unlike the Kenai River, the Kasilof experiences a single distinct silver salmon run, with fish averaging between 8 and 12 lbs.—though larger specimens can sometimes exceed 15 lbs.
Fishing on the Kasilof offers a different experience compared to the Kenai, as the smaller river is accessed via drift boats rather than power boats.
Where we fish the Kasilof River for Silvers
We float two sections of the river: the lower stretch from the Sterling Highway Bridge to tidewater, and the upper section from the outlet of Tustumena Lake to the Sterling Highway Bridge. Both routes provide a scenic, peaceful journey free of motor noise, making the drift boat fishing experience truly unique.
If you’re visiting the Kenai Peninsula in the fall and fishing the Kenai River, spending a day or two on the Kasilof will add variety to your trip, offering the chance to explore a distinctly different river system.
Kasilof Silver Fishing Rates
August / September / October
Kasilof Half Day – $295pp
Up to 5 hours
Kasilof Full Day – $350pp
Up to 8 hours
Things To Know About Kasilof Silver Salmon:
*Spawning Season: Coho salmon enter spawning streams between July and November, often during high runoff.
*Redd Construction and Egg Deposition: Females dig nests (redds) and deposit between 2,400 and 4,500 eggs, which are fertilized by the male’s milt as they’re laid.
*Development: The eggs develop over winter and hatch in early spring. The embryos use their yolk sacs while still in the gravel until emerging as fry in May or June.
*Juvenile Migration and Rearing: In the fall, juveniles may travel long distances to find off-channel habitats for safe overwintering. Some juveniles leave freshwater in spring to rear in brackish estuarine ponds, returning to fresh water in the fall. Depending on the habitat, juveniles spend one to three winters in streams and can spend up to five winters in lakes before migrating to the ocean as smolts.
*Time at Sea: Some males, known as jacks, may mature and return after just 6 months at sea at around 12 inches long. Most coho salmon spend about 18 months at sea, growing to full adult size.
*Freshwater Diet: Coho fry feed on a variety of aquatic insects, plankton, and even the eggs deposited by spawning adults.
*Marine Diet: At sea, their diet shifts mainly to fish and squid.
How We Fish for Silver Salmon on the Kasilof River
The Kasilof is a large glacial river in the fall and silver fishing is largely done on anchor and fishing broken current seams along the edge of the river. We fish diving plugs as well as cured salmon eggs bounced in shallow water. The upper portion of the Kasilof does offer larger holes and slower current where casting spinners or swinging flies can be very effective.
Kasilof River Silver Salmon Limits
The limit for silvers on the Kasilof River is two fish per person, per day. Bait is generally permitted from August 1 through September 15, unless changed by emergency order.
FAQ’s About Silver Salmon Fishing
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More Information on Kasilof River Salmon Fishing
There is certainly no doubt the Kenai is the world’s most famous salmon river, home to the largest kings on earth and the place of piscatorial dreams. Yet just 20 minutes down the Sterling highway is the Kasilof, a river slightly smaller than the Kenai, but equally rich in historic angling lore and yes, huge …
Early Run Kasilof Kings! Low water and fresh fish makes for some great action. If you are looking for that first fresh salmon of the season, look no further than the Kasilof in late May and early June. After a long winter in Alaska, there is just something special about the first salmon returning to …
Kasilof Sockeye: Drift below Tustumena Lake offers solitude and good numbers of sockeye salmon. Changes in our king salmon fisheries have led us to further diversify and look for additional and exciting new fishing trips. One of these is the float from Tustumena Lake on the Kasilof River down to the Sterling Highway Bridge. Sockeye salmon migration …
Are you interested in booking a drift boat fishing trip on the Kasilof River? Click here or call 1-800-622-1177! In the Shadow of Giants (This article was written by Kenai/Kasilof River guide Mark Glassmaker and was originally published in Fish Alaska magazine in July 2006.) The Kenai’s lesser known neighbor has a king-sized reputation …