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Russian River Fishing Report, Alaska

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Russian River: a clearwater Kenai tributary near Cooper Landing with two sockeye runs, fly-fishing-only water and strict bear rules.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
28 / 39 F
Wind
E 5 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Russian River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings cloud cover, wind E around 5 mph, falling pressure near 1028 hPa and a high of 39. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 11:03 PM-1:03 AM and 10:39 AM-12:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Tomorrow: Similar at 41 F with likely rain: fish ahead of the front. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

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.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp28 F
High / Low39 / 25 F
WindE 5-21 mph
Pressure1028.2 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset09:01 / 18:25
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Russian River this week

Today is the pick of the week on Russian River, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Oct 23 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
11:03 PM-1:03 AM and 10:39 AM-12:39 PM
Minor period
5:13 AM-6:13 AM
Sun
09:01 to 18:25
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 6 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

When to come: the Russian 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
Rainbow trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 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 Russian River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 36 F, wind to 4 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 35 F, wind to 5 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 41 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 sport fishing license. Fly-fishing-only rules, opening dates and closed areas apply: read the Southcentral Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary and check ADF&G emergency orders, which can close or liberalize the fishery in season. Federal rules bar cleaning fish carcasses in the Russian River Campground.

Access

Russian River Campground (Chugach National Forest) and trails to the lower river; ferry site across the Kenai at the confluence; fish-filleting tables at the confluence and the ferry site.

About this water

12-mile clearwater tributary of the upper Kenai River near Cooper Landing, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Managed by the ADF&G Soldotna office (907-262-9368).

Fishing Russian River: the full guide

The river

The Russian River flows 12 miles from Upper Russian Lake through Lower Russian Lake into the upper Kenai River at river mile 74, about 110 miles south of Anchorage. ADF&G calls it one of the most popular fishing destinations in Southcentral Alaska; most fishing happens in the lower three miles and in the Kenai for about a mile below the confluence.

Two sockeye runs

The early run usually arrives by June 15, with a historic midpoint of June 27, and averages about 41,000 fish. The second run usually arrives in mid-July and is larger, averaging around 72,000 fish that are slightly smaller after one less year at sea. ADF&G counts both at its weir below Lower Russian Lake and can close or liberalize the fishery by emergency order.

How sockeye are caught

For most of the year the Russian is a fly-fishing-only area: any rod may be used, but the hook must be a fly, and weight placement is restricted. ADF&G describes casting 10 to 15 feet upstream at about 45 degrees and dead-drifting the fly near the bottom; sockeye travel close to shore, so wading too far out puts you past them.

Coho and trout

Coho reach the confluence by late July or early August, and most have passed the weir by the second week of September. Rainbow trout run 12 to 30 inches; ADF&G rates early spring, before the trout spawning closure, and late fall, after the sockeye anglers leave, as excellent. Dolly Varden are also present.

Common questions

When are the sockeye runs?

The early run usually arrives by mid-June, with a midpoint around June 27; the larger second run arrives in mid-July.

Do I need a fly rod?

No. Spinning or baitcasting rods are allowed in the fly-fishing-only area, but the hook must be a fly.

What are the bear rules?

Keep retained fish within 12 feet of you and food within 3 feet unless stored properly; carry fish out whole or fillet at the tables and Stop, Chop and Throw carcasses into fast current.

Is fishing good at Russian River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Skilak Lake13 miKenai Lake18 miSeward30 miKenai River45 miKasilof River45 miLittle Susitna River69 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 60.4500, -149.9800 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.