The personal use fishery for the Kenai River is open from July 10 until Thursday, July 31. The dipnet fishery opens each year on the 10th and runs through the end of the month. The City of Kenai provides a number of services to support the fishery, including parking and camping on the beaches, restrooms, trash collection, and a boat dock with a four-ramp boat launch. Fees are charged for most of these services.
Dipnetting on the Kenai River is allowed daily from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from July 10 through July 31. An Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit and a 2025 Alaska Sport Fishing license are required to participate. Only Alaska residents may participate in this fishery. Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use permit harvest and participation must be reported online no later than August 15 through the ADF&G harvest reporting webpage. Permit holders who fail to report will be denied an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon permit for the 2025 personal use fishing season and are subject to a $200 fine. If you did not use the permit or if you did not catch anything, you still have to report. Returning permits by mail or hand-delivery is no longer an acceptable means for reporting.
The City of Kenai now offers the Dipnet Kenai App, where users will have access to the following resources:
- Status information about facilities, including the boat launch, north and south beach camping, and other pertinent information.
- Current weather information
- A Tide Table
- Current fish counts from Fish and Game
- Information about services and fees
- Live streaming webcams from around the fishery
- Interactive maps, including driving directions
- A feedback form
- Contact information
Dipnet fees do vary by location. Below is a summary list of fees for the 2025 Dipnet Fishery:
Beach and Overflow Fees:
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- Drop Off Fee: $11.03
- Day Use Parking: $22.05
- Overnight Parking: $49.61-$60.64
- Camping: $27.56
Dock Fees:
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- Drop Off Fee: $11.03
- Day Use Parking: $22.05
- Boat Launch and Parking: $38.59
To conserve returning king salmon and ensure fishing opportunities in the future, the ADF&G is implementing the following regulatory restriction: the retention of king salmon is prohibited in the dipnet fishery effective July 10th through July 31st. Any king salmon caught incidentally may not be removed from the water, must be released immediately, and returned to the water unharmed.
For more information on the City of Kenai Dip Net Fishery, click here, and for details on the fishery from the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, click here.
