Latest Anchor River steelhead count: 10 on Sep 28, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 season count: 702 fish (Jul 29 – Sep 28).
- Latest daily count
- 10
- Sep 28, 2026
down 82 vs Sep 27 - 2026 season total
- 702
- Jul 29 – Sep 28
2025 to the same date: 507 - vs 3-year average
- 122%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Sep 28 (574)
- Peak day
- 92
- Sep 27, 2026
- 7-day total
- 113
- Sep 22 – Sep 28 (6 days counted)
down 12% vs the 7 days before
- 2026
- 2023–2025 average
- Daily count
Chart data (weekly running totals)
| Date | 2026 running total | 2023–2025 average running total |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 4 | 12 | 2 |
| Aug 11 | 17 | 7 |
| Aug 18 | 32 | 20 |
| Aug 25 | 48 | 58 |
| Sep 1 | 167 | 132 |
| Sep 8 | 352 | 254 |
| Sep 15 | 501 | 365 |
| Sep 22 | 590 | 507 |
| Sep 28 | 702 | 574 |
| Sep 29 | after the latest count | 584 |
| Oct 6 | after the latest count | 614 |
| Oct 13 | after the latest count | 626 |
| Oct 20 | after the latest count | 635 |
| Oct 23 | after the latest count | 639 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18 | 6 | −5 | 571 |
| Sep 19 | 3 | −3 | 574 |
| Sep 20 | 5 | +2 | 579 |
| Sep 21 | 10 | +5 | 589 |
| Sep 22 | 1 | −9 | 590 |
| Sep 23 | 2 | +1 | 592 |
| Sep 25 | 1 | −1 | 593 |
| Sep 26 | 7 | +6 | 600 |
| Sep 27Peak | 92 | +85 | 692 |
| Sep 28 | 10 | −82 | 702 |
| 2026 season total | 702 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 574 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Anchor River Steelhead Fish Counts
Daily and historical weir counts tracking Steelhead trout on the Anchor River—the Kenai Peninsula's premier catch-and-release steelhead fishery.
Understanding Anchor River Steelhead Runs
The Anchor River empties into Cook Inlet near Anchor Point on the lower Kenai Peninsula. Starting in 2024, ADF&G has counted fish at a single site at river mile 1.7, using an underwater video system in a floating weir, or ARIS sonar during high flows. This iconic fishery is strictly catch-and-release to protect and conserve these prized sportfish.
🌊 Steelhead Run (Late July – Late October)
Steelhead typically begin arriving in late July, and in recent seasons the biggest daily counts have come in September. The 2024 season saw 1,389 steelhead counted—the first complete count through the entire run.
Get Real-Time Alerts & More
Download Alaska FishTopia for push notifications when fish counts spike, emergency order alerts, tide predictions, and more.
About Anchor River Steelhead Fishing
The Anchor River is Alaska's most accessible road-system steelhead fishery, located on the lower Kenai Peninsula near the community of Anchor Point—the westernmost point on the North American highway system. This small, clear-water stream supports a wild steelhead population that attracts anglers from across the state seeking the thrill of these powerful, acrobatic fish.
What Are Steelhead?
Steelhead are sea-run rainbow trout—the same species as resident rainbow trout, but with a life history that includes migrating to the ocean. After time at sea, they return to their natal streams to spawn. Unlike Pacific salmon, steelhead can survive spawning and may return to the ocean, potentially spawning multiple times. This makes them particularly vulnerable to overfishing, which is why the Anchor River is catch-and-release only.
Run Timing & Peak Fishing
Anchor River Steelhead typically begin arriving in late July, with early fish trickling in throughout August. The run builds through September, with peak fishing occurring from mid-September through the first week of October. Fish continue entering the river into late October, though numbers decline. The best fishing often coincides with fall rains that raise water levels and encourage fresh fish to move upstream.
2024: First Complete Count
In 2024, the weir was operated through the entire steelhead run for the first time, resulting in a count of 1,389 steelhead. This represents a significant milestone for understanding this population. Before 2024, ADF&G called its 1988 and 1992 fall counts (878 and 1,261 fish) the most complete, and no count had covered a whole run. Counting stopped in late September in 2025 and 2026, so those totals (510 and 702) are partial.
Fishing Regulations
The Anchor River has strict regulations designed to protect steelhead:
• Catch-and-Release Only: All steelhead must be released immediately
• No Bait in Fall: From September 1 through October 31, only one unbaited, single-hook artificial fly or lure is allowed in the lower river
• Seasonal Closure: The lower river (mouth to ADF&G markers about 200 yards above the Old Sterling Highway Bridge) is closed to all sport fishing from November 1 until its May opening; in 2026 emergency orders closed it from May 16 and reopened it to species other than king salmon on July 1
• August: Bait and multiple hooks are allowed in the lower river from August 1 through August 31
These regulations are essential for maintaining a healthy steelhead population. Please handle fish carefully, keep them in the water as much as possible, and use barbless hooks for easier release.
Access & Location
The Anchor River is highly accessible by road:
• Location: Near Anchor Point, approximately 15 miles north of Homer on the Sterling Highway
• Access Points: Multiple parking lots and campgrounds along the lower 2 miles
• Best Areas: The lower river below the North Fork junction receives the most pressure
The lower two miles of river are the most heavily fished due to easy access, but exploration upstream can yield less-pressured water.
Techniques & Tactics
Successful steelhead fishing on the Anchor River requires patience and proper technique:
• Fly Fishing: Beads, egg patterns, and flesh flies are effective; spey and switch rods popular for covering water
• Spin Fishing: Small spinners and drift fishing with beads (no bait!)
• Target Water: Focus on ripples, breaks, bank undercuts, pools, and slack water behind boulders
• Timing: Early morning and overcast days often produce best; fresh fish move on rising water
Conservation Efforts
The Anchor River steelhead population is the focus of ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts. Organizations like Trout Unlimited work with ADF&G to study these fish and ensure sustainable management. The 2024 full-season weir count represents a major step forward in understanding the population. Anglers play a crucial role in conservation by practicing proper catch-and-release techniques and reporting any tagged fish.
Tracking Anchor River Steelhead fish counts helps anglers time their trips for peak run timing and contributes to our understanding of this valuable fishery. The weir data provides accurate daily counts essential for both fishing planning and long-term conservation.
Anchor River steelhead count: common questions
Plain answers on how the count works, what past seasons looked like and how to use the numbers to plan a fall trip. This season's numbers are in the season recap and live chart above. The figures below come from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and were checked on October 21, 2026.
What is the Anchor River fish count?
It is ADF&G's daily count of fish swimming up the Anchor River on the lower Kenai Peninsula. The same site counts king salmon in early summer and steelhead in late summer and fall. This page covers steelhead; each day's count is added to a running total for the season.
Where is the count taken?
At a single ADF&G counting site at river mile 1.7, in the lower river near Anchor Point. ADF&G has counted at this one site starting in 2024.
How does ADF&G count steelhead on the Anchor River?
With video. When the water allows, fish swim through an underwater video system inside a floating resistance board weir, and fish passage is recorded 24 hours a day by motion detection. During high flows ADF&G uses ARIS sonar instead.
When do steelhead run in the Anchor River?
From late July into October, with the biggest days in September. In recent seasons the count started between July 27 and August 11. The biggest single day came in September in every season since 2020 except 2023, when counting ended in August:
- 2020: September 18
- 2021: September 16
- 2022: September 13
- 2024: September 18
- 2025: September 8
- 2026: September 27
In 2024, the one season counted to the end of October, fish were still passing on October 23.
How many Anchor River steelhead were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 count was 702 steelhead, from July 29 to September 28. That is not a full run. ADF&G's table notes that the weir was removed and stopped counting at 9 a.m. on September 28, while steelhead usually keep entering the river into October. The biggest day was September 27, at 92 fish, the highest single day in ADF&G's online steelhead data.
What is the highest Anchor River steelhead count?
The highest season total in ADF&G's online data is 1,389 steelhead in 2024. The Homer News reported that the 2024 count was the first complete count of a steelhead run on the Anchor River, made when the weir stayed in through the fall. Before that, ADF&G described its 1988 and 1992 fall counts, 878 and 1,261 fish, as the most complete.
What were the Anchor River steelhead counts in past years?
Season counts at the weir, from ADF&G's online data, which goes back to 2020:
- 2026: 702 (preliminary; counting stopped September 28)
- 2025: 510 (counting ended September 29)
- 2024: 1,389 (counted through October 31)
- 2023: 18 (counting ended August 26)
- 2022: 1,210 (counted through October 13)
- 2021: 96 (counting ended September 24)
- 2020: 548 (counted through October 25)
These totals are not equal measures of run size. They mostly show how long the weir stayed in. Compare years only when the counting periods are similar.
Why are some years so much lower than others?
Mostly because counting stopped earlier. The 2023 count ran only from August 11 to August 26, before most steelhead arrive, so its 18 fish say little about that year's run. The 2021 count ended September 24. Before the 2024 count, ADF&G had only partial counts of this run, and its count page says those show runs are variable and typically small.
How many steelhead pass the weir in a day?
Rarely more than a few dozen. In 2026 the daily count was 0 on 10 of the 62 days counted and topped out at 92 on September 27. The second-biggest day in the online data is 90, on September 18, 2024. Because daily numbers are small and swing with water levels, the running total is the better guide.
Does the Anchor River have a steelhead escapement goal?
No. ADF&G says it has not set an escapement goal for these steelhead, so the chart has no goal line for this count. The king salmon count at the same site does have a goal.
Can you keep steelhead on the Anchor River?
No. Rainbow and steelhead trout on the Anchor River are catch-and-release only under ADF&G's 2026 regulations, and they must be released immediately without being removed from the water.
What gear rules apply in the fall?
On the lower Anchor River, from the mouth upstream about 2 miles to ADF&G markers about 200 yards above the Old Sterling Highway Bridge, ADF&G's 2026 regulations allow bait and multiple hooks from August 1 through August 31. From September 1 through October 31 only one unbaited, single-hook, artificial fly or lure is allowed. That stretch is closed to all sport fishing from November 1, 2026, until it opens in May 2027. Rules can change by emergency order, so check ADF&G's sport fishing regulations and current emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
Are king salmon counted at the same place?
Yes. The river mile 1.7 site counts both, kings first. See our Anchor River king salmon counts.
How do I check the Anchor River steelhead count today?
Look at the season recap and chart at the top of this page. They show the latest count ADF&G has posted and the season total so far, with 3-year and 5-year averages. On ADF&G's own table, days with no count show as a dash. Counts for the current year are preliminary and can be revised.
Where does the data come from?
From ADF&G's public steelhead count for the Anchor River. We republish the daily counts with averages so the trend is easier to read. The rules above come from ADF&G's 2026 sport fishing regulations.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the steelhead count for the Anchor River and you'll get a push alert when a new count posts. The alert gives the day's count and the season total so far, and says whether the run is ahead of, on or behind the typical pace for the date, based on the 3-year average. The app also covers the Anchor River king count and other Alaska counts, plus tides, marine weather, sport fishing regulations and AI fish ID. It comes with a 3-day free trial, then $9.99 a year. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.