Dipnetting opens at the mouth of the Kasilof River this coming Tuesday, June 25.
The river will be open to dipnetting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game reminds fishers that Kasilof River dipnetters may not keep king salmon.
The Division of Commercial Fisheries operates sonar equipment just upstream of the Sterling Highway bridge to estimate the in-river return of Kasilof River salmon. Sonar data show that Kasilof River salmon pass the sonar site as early as June 15 and as late as July 31. According to historical sonar data, peak harvest for dipnetters at the mouth of the Kasilof River takes place between July 11 through July 21.
This fishery is managed in season by emergency order and can close anytime. So, always check the recorded phone message or at your local ADF&G office before fishing.
A permit is required for the personal use of a dipnet for salmon in the Kasilof River. Permits can be obtained from private vendors or at Fish and Game offices in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Palmer, Soldotna, and Homer.
Anyone fishing must record the date, location, and harvest by species each time you fish. They must record this information even if they did not catch any fish—write “0” in the space provided for harvest.
Any salmon caught must be recorded on the permit before it is concealed from plain view, such as put in a cooler or transported from the fishing site. Failure to record the salmon on the permit is a violation, and you may be subject to fines and loss of future personal use fishing privileges.
The total yearly harvest out of all the Upper Cook Inlet personal use salmon fisheries (Kenai, Kasilof, and Fish Creek) is 25 salmon and 10 flounder for the permit holder and 10 salmon for each additional household member. The limit is combined for all four fisheries—Kenai dipnetting, Kasilof dipnetting, Kasilof set gillnetting, and Fish Creek dipnetting.
The river can be fished from the north or south shores. To access the north shore, take Kasilof Beach Road, which is off the south end of Kalifornsky Beach Road. Dipnetters are reminded not to drive through the private property signs at the cannery. You may park your vehicle off the driving surface but stay within the road right-of-way.
Four-wheel drive is recommended due to the softness of the sand off the driving surface.
Dipnetters are asked not to park on the sand dunes; the beach grasses can not survive the impacts.
To access the south shore, turn west on North Cohoe Loop Road, off the Sterling Highway. When the pavement turns to the south (left), continue west (straight) on the rough, unpaved dirt road to the beach. The mouth of the Kasilof is approximately ¼-mile north (right) along the beach. Four-wheel drive is necessary to get to the mouth on the south shore.
For further information, visit the Kasilof River Personal Use Salmon Fishery overview on the ADF&G website.