Latest Kenai River king count: 18 on Aug 22, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 late run count: 9,803 fish (Jul 1 – Aug 22).
- Latest daily count
- 18
- Aug 22, 2026
down 6 vs Aug 21 - 2026 late run total
- 9,803
- Jul 1 – Aug 22
2025 to the same date: 15,015 - vs 3-year average
- 84%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Aug 22 (11,694)
- Peak day (late run)
- 518
- Jul 24, 2026
- 7-day total
- 567
- Aug 16 – Aug 22
down 65% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G late-run OEG goal: 15,000–30,000
2026 late run passage: 9,803 fish counted through Aug 22. Passage is the fish counted at the site (preliminary), not final escapement.
- 2026 late run
- 2023–2025 average
- Late-run OEG goal
- Daily count
Chart data (weekly running totals)
| Date | 2026 late run running total | 2023–2025 average running total |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1 | 42 | 68 |
| Jul 8 | 576 | 983 |
| Jul 15 | 1,985 | 2,581 |
| Jul 22 | 3,073 | 4,263 |
| Jul 29 | 5,162 | 6,171 |
| Aug 5 | 6,868 | 8,685 |
| Aug 12 | 8,573 | 10,481 |
| Aug 19 | 9,677 | 11,522 |
| Aug 22 | 9,803 | 11,694 |
| Aug 26 | after the latest count | 11,807 |
| Aug 27 | after the latest count | 11,856 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Run total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 13 | 295 | +12 | 8,868 |
| Aug 14 | 175 | −120 | 9,043 |
| Aug 15 | 193 | +18 | 9,236 |
| Aug 16 | 103 | −90 | 9,339 |
| Aug 17 | 175 | +72 | 9,514 |
| Aug 18 | 66 | −109 | 9,580 |
| Aug 19 | 97 | +31 | 9,677 |
| Aug 20 | 84 | −13 | 9,761 |
| Aug 21 | 24 | −60 | 9,785 |
| Aug 22 | 18 | −6 | 9,803 |
| 2026 late run total | 9,803 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 11,694 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped. The running total restarts when the late run begins on Jul 1.
Kenai River King Salmon Fish Counts
Accurate, up-to-date, and historical sonar fish counts tracking both early and late run King Salmon on the Kenai River.
Understanding Kenai River Chinook Runs
The Kenai River supports two distinct runs of Chinook (King) salmon each year, monitored by sonar at river mile 14, about 14 miles upstream from the mouth. The sonar operates from mid-May through late August, counting fish as they migrate upstream to spawn.
🕐 Early Run (May 16 – June 30)
Fish that spawn mainly in larger tributaries such as the Funny and Killey rivers.
🕐 Late Run (July 1 – late August)
The larger run of "Kenai Kings", which spawn mostly in the mainstem.
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About Kenai River King Salmon Fishing
The Kenai River in Southcentral Alaska is world-renowned for producing trophy-class Chinook (King) salmon. Located on the Kenai Peninsula approximately 150 highway miles south of Anchorage, near the city of Soldotna, this 82-mile river holds the world record for the largest sport-caught King salmon—a massive 97 pounds 4 ounces caught in 1985. The Kenai River remains one of Alaska's premier destinations for anglers pursuing these legendary fish.
Fish are monitored by sonar at river mile 14, counting salmon as they migrate upstream. ADF&G retired its older king sonar at river mile 8.6 (also given as 8.5 or 9) in 2015. The sonar operates from mid-May through late August, providing daily passage estimates that help anglers and fisheries managers track run strength during the season.
Early Run Timing and Spawning
The early run Chinook salmon migration occurs from mid-May through June, with fish spawning primarily in larger tributaries of the Kenai River system, such as the Funny and Killey rivers. At the sonar, the early run has historically reached its midpoint around June 12.
Late Run Timing and Spawning
The late run brings the legendary "Kenai Kings". ADF&G notes that Kenai River king salmon are large compared with other king stocks, often weighing more than 40 pounds. These fish spawn mostly in the mainstem Kenai River; an estimated 20 to 40 percent spawn between river mile 10 and the Soldotna Bridge at river mile 21. Peak late run fishing typically occurs from July 10 through July 31. Late-run sockeye share the river in July; see the Kenai red salmon count.
Understanding Escapement & Regulations
Tracking Kenai River Chinook salmon escapement is critical for both conservation and fishing opportunity. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game actively manages the fishery based on in-season run strength. When escapement goals appear at risk, emergency restrictions may be implemented, including reduced bag limits, gear restrictions, or temporary closures. Conversely, strong runs may result in liberalized regulations.
Early run goals (3,900-6,600 large kings) are typically assessed by late June, while late run goals (15,000-30,000 large kings) are evaluated throughout July and August. Anglers should monitor emergency orders and check current regulations before fishing, as conditions can change rapidly based on sonar counts. ADF&G closed both the early-run and late-run Kenai River king salmon sport fisheries by emergency order in each season from 2023 through 2026, and late-run kings are managed under a stock of concern plan.
Kenai River king salmon count: common questions
Plain answers on how the king count works, what past seasons looked like and what the numbers mean for fishing. This season's numbers are in the count card and 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 Kenai River king salmon count?
It is ADF&G's daily sonar estimate of large king salmon, also called Chinook, swimming up the Kenai River past river mile 14. There are two counts, one for the early run and one for the late run. Each day's estimate is added to a running total for that run.
Where is the Kenai king sonar?
At river mile 14, about 14 miles upstream from the mouth. ADF&G moved the king count there from its older site at river mile 8.6 (also given as 8.5 or 9). It ran both sites in 2013 and 2014 and retired the old one in 2015, so you will still see the old number quoted. Sockeye are counted at a different ADF&G sonar, at river mile 19.
Does the count include every king?
No. ADF&G counts only large kings, longer than about 34 inches (75 centimeters from mid-eye to tail fork), and it has converted past years to large-fish counts so the years can be compared. It is also an estimate, so a day can even come out negative: on May 16, 2026, one king was seen swimming downstream and none upstream, and ADF&G's hourly expansion turned that into a daily estimate of minus 6.
How do I check the Kenai River king salmon count today?
Look at the count card at the top of this page. It shows the latest daily count ADF&G has posted, the run total so far and how it compares with recent seasons. ADF&G treats counts for the current year as preliminary, so a number can change after it first appears.
When does the Kenai king count start and end?
ADF&G says sonar operations at river mile 14 begin May 16 and continue through about August 20. The early run is counted from May 16 through June 30, and the late run from July 1. In the last five seasons the last late-run count came between August 19 and August 27.
When does the early run peak?
Mid-June. In ADF&G's sonar data for 2013 through 2026, the early run reached its halfway point between June 9 and June 18, and ADF&G gives its historical midpoint as June 12. The biggest single early-run day in that data was 374 large kings, on June 14, 2017.
When does the late run peak?
Late July. From 2013 through 2026 the late run reached its halfway point between July 21 and July 31, and its biggest single day came between July 12 and August 7. The biggest late-run day in that data was 1,026 large kings, on July 24, 2015.
How many Kenai kings were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 counts were 1,499 large kings in the early run, through June 30, and 9,803 in the late run, from July 1 to the last count on August 22. Both are the second lowest since 2013, after 2024. The biggest late-run day of 2026 was July 24, at 518 fish.
What were the Kenai River king salmon counts in past years?
Large kings past the river mile 14 sonar, early run and late run, from ADF&G's count data:
- 2026: 1,499 and 9,803 (preliminary)
- 2025: 2,541 and 15,015
- 2024: 1,365 and 6,630
- 2023: 1,975 and 13,922
- 2022: 2,051 and 13,425
- 2021: 4,131 and 11,832
- 2020: 2,444 and 11,499
- 2019: 4,186 and 11,868
- 2018: 3,000 and 16,957
- 2017: 7,237 and 22,133
Over the five seasons from 2022 to 2026, the early run averaged about 1,900 large kings and the late run about 11,800. These are counts of fish passing the sonar, not final escapement.
What is the record Kenai king count?
ADF&G's online data for the river mile 14 sonar goes back only to 2013. In that data the highest counts for both runs came in 2017: 7,237 large kings in the early run and 22,133 in the late run. The lowest for both came in 2024: 1,365 in the early run, which ADF&G called the lowest on record, and 6,630 in the late run. These are not all-time records: ADF&G's estimates for 1986 to 2016 average about 8,000 early-run and 34,500 late-run kings escaping to spawn each year.
What are the escapement goals for Kenai kings?
ADF&G's count pages list an optimal escapement goal of 3,900 to 6,600 large kings for the early run and 15,000 to 30,000 for the late run. ADF&G also lists sustainable escapement goals of 2,800 to 5,600 and 13,500 to 27,000. Since 2017 the goals have been set in large kings only.
Has the king run been meeting its goals?
Not often lately. ADF&G says the early run met neither goal in 2023 or 2024. For the 2023 late run, ADF&G's preliminary escapement estimate was 14,502 large kings, short of the optimal goal but within the sustainable goal. Sonar passage alone tells a similar story: the early-run count has been below 3,900 every year since 2022.
Is king fishing open on the Kenai River?
Not in recent seasons. ADF&G closed both the early-run and the late-run king salmon sport fisheries on the Kenai by emergency order in every season from 2023 through 2026. In 2025 and 2026 the closures included catch-and-release fishing. In 2026 the early-run closure covered the whole Kenai drainage from May 1 through June 19, and the late-run closure covered the river below the outlet of Skilak Lake from June 20 through August 15. Late-run kings are managed under a stock of concern plan. Rules can change by emergency order, so check ADF&G's current sport fishing regulations and emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
What was the 2026 late-run forecast?
ADF&G forecast a 2026 late run of 12,718 large kings and said that, if realized, it would be the sixth lowest on record. The preliminary sonar count for the late run ended at 9,803.
Can I keep a king while dipnetting the Kenai?
No. ADF&G's rules for the Kenai River personal-use dipnet fishery say no king salmon may be kept.
Why are Kenai kings famous?
For their size. ADF&G says Kenai kings are large, often weighing more than 40 pounds, and the river holds the world record for a sport-caught king salmon: 97 pounds, 4 ounces, caught by Les Anderson on May 17, 1985. That date falls in the early run.
Where do Kenai kings spawn?
ADF&G says early-run kings spawn mainly in larger tributaries such as the Funny and Killey rivers, while late-run kings spawn mostly in the main Kenai River. It estimates that 20 to 40 percent of late-run kings spawn between river mile 10 and the Soldotna Bridge at river mile 21. That stretch begins below the sonar at river mile 14.
Is there a Kenai River sockeye or coho count too?
ADF&G publishes three Kenai River counts: the early-run and late-run kings, and late-run sockeye at river mile 19. There is no ADF&G coho count for the Kenai. See our Kenai River sockeye counts or all Kenai River fish counts.
Where does the data come from?
The counts on this page and the past-season totals above come from ADF&G's public Kenai River king counts for the early run and the late run. We republish them with averages so the trend is easier to read. The rules above come from ADF&G's regulation pages and emergency orders.
How do I get alerts when new counts post?
In the Alaska FishTopia app, favorite the Kenai king count and you'll get a push alert when a new count posts. The alert gives the day's count and the run 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 Kenai sockeye, Kasilof, Russian 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.