Alaska's Kenai Peninsula has the honor of providing nearly 40% of all the sportfishing effort in the state. And for one good reason....there is nonstop fishing occurring from May through September targeting four different salmon species, two kinds of trout and numerous denizens of the surrounding saltwater, including salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish.

But fishing isn't the only thing the Peninsula is noted for. Its a complete vacation spot offering wildlife viewing, marine sealife tours, glacier visits, museums, clam digging, Russian history and spectacular flightseeing and fly-in fishing trips to name just a few. Owen & Early's Quality Lodging Bed & Breakfast as well as Early Fishing Riverside Lodge are right on the banks of the Kenai River in Soldotna and provide the perfect location for exploring all the Peninsula has to offer. We are right in the heart of the Kenai and only an hour and a half drive to the farther point at Seward or Homer.

Timing Your Fishing Trip

Traveling anglers must plan their visit according to the availability of the fish they intend to catch. The Kenai and Kasilof Rivers, which we both fish, have similar salmon runs and timing but with two completely different experiences. The Kenai is a large river that is easily navigated with power boats and has a significant amount of development along its banks. The Kasilof on the other hand is a smaller, glacier fed river which is only navigated by drift boat and has relatively little development. Both rivers provide great salmon fishing in two completely different settings only 12 miles apart. You can read more about these fisheries in our "Alaska Fishing" section.

Kenai River Regulations

• No guided king fishing on Sunday or Monday during May, June, July (except Memorial Day) *
• One king per day, two per season
• License & king stamp required
• Power and Drift boat fishing
• Sockeye limit 3 per day
• Silver limit 2 per day
• No guided silver salmon fishing on Mondays from Aug.1 - Sept. 30.
  *Sunday-Monday are ideal days for Halibut trips or fishing on the Kasilof River for kings.

Kasilof River Regulations

• One king per day, up to 5 combined total for Kenai Peninsula per season
• License & king stamp required
• Closed to guided fishing on Sundays in July
• Drift Boat fishing only
• Sockeye limit 3 per day
• Silver limit 2 per day

Halibut Fishing

Halibut fishing is a great way to top off the fish box with some excellent eating to compliment your salmon catches. Cook Inlet is well-known for providing thousands of anglers each year the chance to fight Alaska's largest sport fish. And some catches have exceeded 400 pounds. Typically a day's catch will have a variety of sizes in the mix, and you never know when that barndoor may decide to take your bait. A variety of boats are used depending on your party size and depth of water fished. Fish cleaning/filleting is included; all bait & tackle provided.

Other Things To Do:

Clam Digging Kenai Fjords Tours Exit Glacier visit Flightseeing Fly-in Fishing & Bear Viewing Seward Sealife Center Homer - Kachemak Bay sightseeing Sea Kayaking Kenai River rafting Museums - Russian history Wildlife watching - eagles, moose, caribou Mountain biking & hiking Gift shops & Visitor Centers

Clam Digging is a favorite sport for locals as well as visitors and provides an opportunity to take home a different kind of Alaska's bounty. Clam Gulch (only 20 miles from Soldotna) is the most popular and accessible digging location and the beaches along Cook Inlet produce over 1.3 million razor clams each season. All you need are some rubber boots, a clam shovel and fishing license. The following dates have good clam tides at Clam Gulch during 2007. (4x4 or walking access. Clam cleaning available in the area at extra charge.)

Clam Tides for Cook Inlet 2008 May 3 - 10 May 17 - 23 June 1 - 9 June 16 - 23 June 30 - July 7 July 17 - 22 July 29 - Aug 5 Aug 15 - 20 Aug 28 - Sept 2 Sept 14 - 17 Sept 26 - 28

What To Expect - What To Bring for your Early Fishing Trip:

TRIP DURATION: Half day trips will begin at 5:30 a.m. or earlier and at midday, depending on when you are booked. Full day trips also begin early and typically fish through the lunch hour until mid-afternoon. Halibut fishing is a full day affair beginning in the morning and ending in late afternoon/evening. You can bring whatever snacks, refreshments, and/or lunch you wish. Sack lunches are available at local cafes.

LICENSE & KING STAMP: Our fishing requires a current fishing license plus a king salmon stamp if you fish kings. A One-Day nonresident license/king stamp runs $20/$10. Three, seven & fourteen day licenses & stamps are also available if you will be fishing multiple days. The king stamp is not needed for halibut, silvers, sockeye or trout fishing days.

FISH PROCESSING & TAXIDERMY: All fish cleaning, vacuum sealing, packaging and freezing is included in all our lodging/fishing packages. Additional processing such as canning or smoking is available locally for an extra charge. Should you decide to have your catch mounted, we have a taxidermist who will come to our dock to pick up your catch. Skin mounts and fiberglass duplicates are both available.

WEATHER: The weather in Alaska is always unpredictable and can be in the 40's in early summer and up to the 70's in late June or July. Rain is always a possibility at any time so bring along good rain gear and waterproof shoes. Dressing in layers is recommended.

WATER CONDITIONS: We fish both calm waters and swift water. All precautions are taken to ensure the safety of our anglers. All guides are properly licensed and bonded as required by state agencies. Our boats and guides are also Coast Guard licensed and approved for the areas we fish.

GEAR: All rods, reels, bait and tackle are provided on guided trips. However if you wish to bring personal gear for some of the other fisheries available, we recommend contacting us to insure it will it will be appropriate for the species you intend to fish.

DON'T FORGET TO BRING YOUR CAMERAS!!