Catching Alaska Sockeye!

June 20th, 2013

The first run of Sockeye are in the river and being caught!  Numbers are looking healthy for the first run and the fish are in good shape and strong.  I was down on the Kenai River last week fishing below the sanctuary and most people were getting some fish!  They were coming in spurts as they usually do but with some time and effort, limits were being caught.  

The sanctuary, which is not open to fishing untill the middle of next month was full of fish!  Once by all the fishermen and the current in the corner of the river that leads up to the sanctuary and the start of the Russian River, the salmon slowed down and schooled up!  With polorazied glasses you could see thousands of salmon in the water!  

Some people were fishing in the Russian upstream from the Sanctuary markers and I saw a few sockeye on the stringers up there.  Cottonwood hole seemed to be the most popular place to fish on the actual Russian River.  

The rivers are high right now with the excellent weather that Alaska is seeing with nice high temps into the 70's melting all the late spring snow fall in the hills and mountains!  The Russian was still crossable in chest waders but you would get wet with just hip waders for sure.  

Not to many bears around yet.  I talked to a couple people that had seen some, but I didn't run across any hiking around or fishing.  

Second run should be on it's way soon!

Tight Lines!