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Kasilof River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Kenai’s quieter neighbor: the Kasilof runs kings and sockeye without the combat crowds.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
60 / 60 F
Wind
SW 4 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Kasilof River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings cloud cover, wind SW around 4 mph, falling pressure near 1019 hPa and a high of 60. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Chinook salmonGood

Peak interception: downriggers on the feeding lanes, mooching where the fleet permits. River mouths stage fish late summer: the estuary bite runs on tide changes.

Rainbow troutGood

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 64 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp60 F
High / Low60 / 54 F
WindSW 4-11 mph
Pressure1019.4 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 95%
Sunrise / Sunset07:07 / 21:00
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 60/54 F, wind 5 mph, rain 95%

Slow. High rain chance; fish the front edge before it arrives.

Species guide

The species that matter on Kasilof River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Chinook salmon illustration

Chinook salmon

Best: Jun-Sep ocean runs

The king: the Pacific's heavyweight, intercepted trolling the ocean feeding lanes or swinging rivers on the spawning run. Peak interception: downriggers on the feeding lanes, mooching where the fleet permits. River mouths stage fish late summer: the estuary bite runs on tide changes.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

When to come: the Kasilof River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chinook salmon
Rainbow trout
Steelhead
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Kasilof River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Chinook salmon led the card at excellent. High of 63 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Chinook salmon led the card at good. High of 64 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Chinook salmon led the card at excellent. High of 59 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Alaska requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Alaska license plus king salmon stamp where applicable. Kasilof rules differ from the Kenai and change in season: read current ADFG regulations carefully.

Access

Sterling Highway bridge area, Crooked Creek State Recreation Site and river launches; drift floats from Tustumena Lake outlet.

About this water

A 17-mile glacial river from Tustumena Lake to Cook Inlet, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.

Fishing Kasilof River: the full guide

A glacial river with runs

The Kasilof River flows about 17 miles from Tustumena Lake to Cook Inlet on the Kenai Peninsula, glacially fed and running gray-green through most of the season. It carries strong runs of king and sockeye salmon plus steelhead and Dolly Varden, and it draws a fraction of the crowds the Kenai River pulls a few miles north.

Kings and sockeye

The Kasilof hosts both early hatchery and later wild king salmon runs, fished from drift boats back-trolling plugs and from the bank where access allows. Sockeye arrive in force in July, fished with the flip-and-drift technique standard on the peninsula. Regulations differ from the Kenai and change in season: check them carefully.

Steelhead and Dollies

A modest fall steelhead run enters the river, and Dolly Varden follow the salmon through the season feeding on eggs. The glacial color limits visibility, so presentations that work in clear water often do not: fish tight to structure and let the fish find the offering.

Kenai Peninsula logistics

Access is via the Sterling Highway bridge area, Crooked Creek State Recreation Site and the Kasilof River launches, with drift-boat floats from the lake outlet the standard trip. Kasilof and Soldotna provide services. Bears are present throughout: follow the fish-cleaning rules.

Common questions

How does it compare with the Kenai?

Similar species, far fewer people: the Kasilof draws a fraction of the crowds a few miles north.

Is the water clear?

No: glacial silt colors it most of the season, which changes presentation. Fish tight to structure.

When are the runs?

Kings from late spring into summer with hatchery and wild components; sockeye in force through July.

Is fishing good at Kasilof River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Kenai River15 miSkilak Lake32 miRussian River45 miKenai Lake62 miSeward65 miLittle Susitna River106 mi
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