Latest Ninilchik River king count: 2 on Aug 18, 2026 (ADF&G, preliminary). 2026 season count: 840 fish (May 20 – Aug 18).
- Latest daily count
- 2
- Aug 18, 2026
up 1 vs Aug 15 - 2026 season total
- 840
- May 20 – Aug 18
2025 to the same date: 1,129 - vs 3-year average
- 105%
- of the 2023–2025 average to Aug 18 (799)
- Peak day
- 104
- Jun 21, 2026
- 7-day total
- 8
- Aug 12 – Aug 18 (5 days counted)
down 60% vs the 7 days before
Below the goal range
ADF&G SEG goal: 900–1,600
2026 passage: 840 fish counted through Aug 18. Passage is the fish counted at the site (preliminary), not final escapement.
- 2026
- 2023–2025 average
- SEG goal
- Daily count
Chart data (weekly running totals)
| Date | 2026 running total | 2023–2025 average running total |
|---|---|---|
| May 11 | 0 | 1 |
| May 18 | 0 | 3 |
| May 25 | 5 | 15 |
| Jun 1 | 51 | 42 |
| Jun 8 | 248 | 131 |
| Jun 15 | 334 | 272 |
| Jun 22 | 545 | 430 |
| Jun 29 | 637 | 490 |
| Jul 6 | 653 | 555 |
| Jul 13 | 680 | 599 |
| Jul 20 | 726 | 682 |
| Jul 27 | 788 | 725 |
| Aug 3 | 809 | 768 |
| Aug 10 | 828 | 791 |
| Aug 17 | 838 | 798 |
| Aug 18 | 840 | 799 |
| Date | Fish counted | Change vs prior count | Season total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7 | 2 | −1 | 821 |
| Aug 8 | 4 | +2 | 825 |
| Aug 9 | 2 | −2 | 827 |
| Aug 10 | 1 | −1 | 828 |
| Aug 11 | 4 | +3 | 832 |
| Aug 12 | 1 | −3 | 833 |
| Aug 13 | 3 | +2 | 836 |
| Aug 14 | 1 | −2 | 837 |
| Aug 15 | 1 | 0 | 838 |
| Aug 18 | 2 | +1 | 840 |
| 2026 season total | 840 | ||
| 2023–2025 average to the same date | 799 | ||
Source: ADF&G daily fish counts, preliminary; ADF&G can revise them. Days with no count above zero are skipped.
Ninilchik River King Salmon Fish Counts
Daily and historical weir counts tracking Chinook (King) salmon on the Ninilchik River—a hatchery-enhanced lower Kenai Peninsula fishery managed jointly with Anchor River and Deep Creek.
Understanding Ninilchik River Chinook Runs
The Ninilchik River is a small but productive King salmon fishery on the lower Kenai Peninsula. Wild and hatchery Chinook are counted at a video weir about 2 miles upstream, just above the sport fishery, and the run is supplemented by hatchery fish raised from wild Ninilchik broodstock. The fishery is managed under one king salmon management plan with the Anchor River and Deep Creek, but the Anchor and Ninilchik rivers each have their own escapement goal.
👑 King Salmon Run (Late May – July)
Chinook salmon typically arrive in late May. From 2019 through 2026, the biggest daily wild counts came between June 7 and July 17. In 2026 the first fish was counted on May 20, and the weir was removed on August 19.
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About Ninilchik River King Salmon Fishing
The Ninilchik River is a small coastal stream on Alaska's lower Kenai Peninsula, located in the historic village of Ninilchik. This hatchery-enhanced fishery provides King salmon opportunities when conditions allow, though recent years have seen significant restrictions due to wild stock conservation concerns.
Hatchery Enhancement Program
The Ninilchik River King salmon run is supplemented by hatchery kings raised from wild Ninilchik broodstock; ADF&G uses only naturally-produced fish for that broodstock. Returning hatchery kings are also used as broodstock for the Kachemak Bay terminal fisheries. In 2025:
• Hatchery Kings at the weir: over 600 by June 17
• Broodstock: ADF&G closed the river June 23 – July 15 partly to meet its wild and hatchery broodstock goals
This enhancement allows continued fishing opportunity while protecting wild stocks when runs are strong enough to support harvest.
Wild King Salmon Escapement
The Sustainable Escapement Goal (SEG) for wild Ninilchik Chinook is 900 – 1,600 fish. The weir counts distinguish between wild and hatchery fish (marked with clipped adipose fins). Recent wild escapement data:
• 2026: 840 wild Kings (preliminary), below the SEG
• 2025: 1,129 wild Kings (within SEG range, after emergency closures)
• 2023–2024: 548 and 720 wild Kings, both below the SEG
2025 Season Management
Due to projections that the wild run would not meet the SEG, ADF&G issued multiple emergency orders in 2025:
• Preseason: Single-hook artificial lures only, no bait allowed
• June 23 – July 15: River closed to all sport fishing
• July 16 – October 31: King salmon fishing closed
The final 2025 wild count, 1,129, was within the SEG.
Run Timing & Peak Fishing
Ninilchik River King salmon typically arrive in late May, and the biggest daily counts at the weir have come between early June and mid-July (2019–2026). In 2026 king fishing was open only on set weekends in May and June, plus a youth-only day on June 3.
Access & Location
The Ninilchik River offers easy road access:
• Sterling Highway: Crosses the river near the village of Ninilchik
• Ninilchik State Recreation Area: Camping and beach access nearby
• Bank Fishing: Primary access method—the small river is not suitable for boats
Fishing Regulations (When Open)
When the King salmon fishery is open, regulations typically include:
• Bag Limit: 1 hatchery King salmon per day (wild kings must be released)
• Annual Limit: Kings 20 inches or longer count toward a combined annual limit of 5 from Cook Inlet salt waters, West Cook Inlet, the Susitna River drainage, Knik Arm, the Anchorage Bowl, the Kenai River and the Kenai Peninsula
• Gear: Subject to emergency order—often restricted to single-hook artificial lures, no bait
• Fishing Days: Often restricted to specific days (weekends, youth days)
Always check current emergency orders before fishing—regulations change frequently based on run strength.
Joint Management with Anchor & Deep Creek
The Ninilchik River is managed with the Anchor River and Deep Creek under one king salmon sport fishery management plan, though the Anchor and Ninilchik rivers each have their own escapement goal. Emergency orders affecting one system often apply to all three rivers, so closures on the Ninilchik may coincide with closures on neighboring streams.
Other Fishing Opportunities
When King salmon fishing is restricted, the Ninilchik River and surrounding area offer:
• Coho (Silver) Salmon: Late August through September
• Dolly Varden: Present throughout summer
• Deep Creek: Nearby stream under the same management plan; its king fishing was closed in 2025 and 2026
• Cook Inlet: Salt water fishing from Ninilchik beaches
Tracking Ninilchik River King Salmon fish counts helps anglers understand run timing and strength, while supporting conservation of wild stocks that make sustainable fishing possible on this hatchery-enhanced stream.
Ninilchik River king salmon count: common questions
Plain answers on how the Ninilchik 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 Ninilchik River king salmon count?
It is ADF&G's daily count of king salmon, also called Chinook, swimming up the Ninilchik River on the lower Kenai Peninsula. ADF&G counts wild and hatchery kings separately. The numbers on this page are the wild kings, the fish the escapement goal is based on.
How and where are Ninilchik kings counted?
At a floating video weir about 2 miles upstream from the mouth, roughly 300 feet above the Garrison Road bridge. ADF&G has run it there since 2019. The weir sits just upstream of the sport fishery, so ADF&G says it counts the whole run, wild and hatchery, after the fish have passed the fishing area.
Is there another Ninilchik weir?
Yes. ADF&G also runs a broodstock collection weir at the Brody Road bridge, about 4.5 river miles up. Most kings don't reach that weir until July, which is why the lower video weir gives anglers more timely numbers.
How do I check the Ninilchik River king count today?
Look at the count card at the top of this page. It shows the latest daily count of wild kings ADF&G has posted, the season 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 Ninilchik king run peak?
Mid to late June. In ADF&G's count data for 2019 through 2026, half the wild run had passed the weir by a date between June 13 and June 30, and the biggest single day came between June 7 and July 17. In 2026 the first wild king was counted on May 20, the run reached its halfway point on June 21 and the weir came out on August 19.
How many Ninilchik kings were counted in 2026?
ADF&G's preliminary 2026 count was 840 wild kings, below the escapement goal of 900 to 1,600. ADF&G's season note for the last day also counted 1,223 hatchery kings. The biggest wild day was June 21, at 104 fish.
What were the Ninilchik River king counts in past years?
Wild kings counted at the lower weir, from ADF&G's count data:
- 2026: 840 (preliminary)
- 2025: 1,129
- 2024: 720
- 2023: 548
- 2022: 1,011
- 2021: 909
- 2020: 1,114
- 2019: 1,653
The highest season at this weir was 2019, at 1,653 wild kings, and the lowest was 2023, at 548. The biggest single day was 126 wild kings, on June 7, 2020.
What is the escapement goal for Ninilchik kings?
ADF&G lists a sustainable escapement goal of 900 to 1,600 wild kings. It updated the goal in 2023, basing it on counts at the lower video weir. Hatchery kings do not count toward it.
Has the Ninilchik run been meeting its goal?
Not every year. The wild count was 548 in 2023, 720 in 2024 and 840 in 2026, all below 900. In June 2025 ADF&G also said the goal had not been achieved in the last three consecutive years, which takes in 2022, when this weir counted 1,011 wild kings; ADF&G did not say how it judged 2022. In 2025 the count reached 1,129, within the goal, after ADF&G closed the river to fishing for part of the season.
Why was the Ninilchik closed in 2025?
Because the wild run was not projected to reach its goal. By June 17, 2025, ADF&G had counted 417 wild kings. It closed the river to all sport fishing from June 23 through July 15, partly to meet its broodstock goals, and then kept king fishing closed from July 16 through October 31 because of the low escapement.
Can I keep a king on the Ninilchik River?
Only a hatchery king, and only on open days. Under ADF&G's 2026 regulations, wild kings could not be kept and had to be released without being taken out of the water. The limit was 1 hatchery king 20 inches or longer per day, and kings 20 inches or longer count toward a combined annual limit of 5 across Cook Inlet salt waters, the Kenai River, the Kenai Peninsula and other listed areas. Check ADF&G's current sport fishing regulations and emergency orders before you fish. This page is not a regulations source.
When is the Ninilchik open to king fishing?
Only on set days. In 2026 the lower river, from the mouth to ADF&G markers about 2 miles up, was open for hatchery kings on set days in late May and June, mostly weekends, plus a youth-only day on June 3. Only one unbaited, single-hook artificial lure was allowed on those days. ADF&G sets the days each year, and emergency orders can change them.
How do I tell a hatchery king from a wild king?
Hatchery kings have their adipose fin clipped as juveniles, so a hatchery king is missing the small fin on its back behind the dorsal fin. ADF&G counts the two groups separately at the weir. ADF&G uses only wild Ninilchik kings as broodstock for the hatchery fish, and it also uses returning hatchery kings as broodstock for the Kachemak Bay terminal fisheries.
How is the Ninilchik managed with the Anchor River and Deep Creek?
All three are under one ADF&G plan, the Anchor River, Deep Creek and Ninilchik River king salmon sport fishery management plan. The Anchor and Ninilchik rivers each have their own escapement goal and their own count. See our Anchor River king salmon counts.
Can I fish for kings elsewhere on the Kenai Peninsula?
Only in a few places. ADF&G's 2026 regulations closed the fresh waters of the Kenai Peninsula outside the Kenai River drainage to king fishing, except for the Kasilof River and the Ninilchik River. By emergency order, ADF&G also opened the Anchor River to catch-and-release king fishing on four days in June 2026, and it closed the Kenai River king fisheries. See our Kasilof River king salmon counts.
Where does the data come from?
The counts on this page and the past-season totals above come from ADF&G's public Ninilchik River king count. 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 Ninilchik 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, Kenai, Kasilof 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.