Kenai River personal use dipnetting closed Monday at 11:59 p.m.

When the fishery opened on July 11, fewer than 10,000 sockeye salmon were being counted by sonar on the river each day. That number recently ballooned to 195,000 on July 25, and the State Department of Fish and Game said in last week’s Northern Kenai Fishing Report that sockeye fishing on the Kenai River had picked up. Kenai River dipnetting was said, in that report, to be “good,” expected to remain so “for the next few days.”

As of Sunday, around 1.25 million sockeye had been counted in the Kenai River’s late run, and the department said the escapement goal for the species is expected to be met. Hourly restrictions on dipnetting were removed by Emergency Order last week.

All anglers with an Upper Cook Inlet Personal Use Salmon Permit will be required to complete online reporting at harvest.adfg.alaska.gov. Reporting must be completed by Aug. 15, even if the permit was left unused or if no fish were caught.

Failure to report by the deadline will result in the loss of personal use fishing privilege in 2024, the department says.

The Upper Cook Inlet permit is valid for both Kenai River and Kasilof River personal use dipnetting, and can still be used until the latter fishery closes on Aug. 7.

More information about fishing regulations and availability can be found at adfg.alaska.gov.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.