Silver Salmon Fishing

For anglers visiting Alaska in August and September, Silver Salmon fishing on the Kenai River offers an exciting way to spend the day on the river, with frequent hookups and gorgeous fall scenery. Silver salmon (Coho) are known for their aggressive bites and impressive acrobatics once hooked, with a fighting ability that seems disproportionate for their 8-14 lb size.

Silver salmon have a unique life cycle that imprints an aggressive predatory response, even once returning to freshwater. They spend twice as long in freshwater as juveniles compared to most other Pacific salmon. They put on most of their size in a relatively short amount of time, aggressively feeding in the ocean, going from 3-4 inch smolts to 8-14 lbs in as little as 18 months, with some Kenai silvers topping 20 lbs. This aggressive instinct carries over into freshwater, giving them a reputation for bone-jarring strikes and screaming drags!

Silver salmon begin entering the Kenai River in late July, with peak fishing occurring from August 10 to the end of September. We target Silvers from the boat as they enter the river fresh from the ocean, using a variety of techniques, including back trolling, back bouncing, drifting bait, and casting spinners. In addition to being many anglers' favorite salmon to pursue for fun, they are excellent eating, with a similar flavor and texture to king salmon.

Silvers are also a blast to target on a fly rod under the right conditions. If you are interested in targeting aggressive, fly-chasing salmon on fly gear, please let me know ahead of time, as fishing locations and timing play a significant role when locating silvers in the right water to pursue with a fly.