Today
Wednesday, Aug 19
7.0/10
Partial
Light Rain Likely
59°51°
Wind3 mph NNERain65%Clouds85%Moon40%
Alaska · River fishing forecast
Kenai River fishing forecast today
Current conditions plus a 7-day fishing outlook for Kenai River, including Fishing Score, wind, pressure, clouds, rain chance and moon phase, with live USGS water observations, recent trends and long-term seasonal context where available.
7.6/10
Good
Current Fishing Score
Weather-based index with a long-term USGS river-flow check. Current water adjustment: 0.0.
72% weather data coveragePartial · pressure missingUSGS flow adjustment 0.0
Air temperature
49°F
Wind
2 mph NNW
Pressure
Unavailable
Not supplied by NWS; Fishing Score is partial
Cloud cover
67%
Rain chance
14%
Moon
Waxing Crescent
Water temp
51.4°F
USGS observation
Gusts
2 mph
Humidity
95%
Weather data updated: Aug 19, 2026, 1:40 AM AKDT
Live water data
Kenai River water temperature and USGS river conditions
Current observations with 24-hour, 7-day, recent 30-day and long-term seasonal context from the verified reference station.
Kenai River at Soldotna, AKUSGS-15266300 · about 16 mi from forecast point
Water temperature51.4°FUSGS 00010
24hSteady+0.9°F7 daysCooling-3.6°F30-day contextNear 30-day median52.2°F medianSeasonal baselineNear seasonal median53.8°F median · 15 years
Streamflow14,100 cfsUSGS 00060
24hStable+1%7 daysStable+4%30-day contextNear 30-day median14,600 cfs medianSeasonal baselineNear seasonal median13,800 cfs median · 61 years
Gage height9.56 ftUSGS 00065
24hStable+0.06 ft7 daysStable+0.14 ft
Fishing Score water checkCurrent streamflow is about 2% from the long-term seasonal median based on 61 approved same-day observations. No score penalty applied.
Latest supported observation: Aug 19, 6:00 AM AKDTSeasonal baseline uses approved USGS day-of-year statistics; 30-day context remains a separate recent median. On river pages with at least 20 approved observations contributing to the same-calendar-day streamflow baseline, unusually extreme or rapidly changing flow can only reduce the current score; it never adds bonus points.
Plan the week
Kenai River 7-day fishing forecast
Compare day-level Fishing Scores with wind, rain risk, pressure and temperatures for the next seven days.
Forecast data coverageDaily weather-score coverage is 72%. NWS forecast pressure is unavailable for these periods, so the daily scores are partial.
Best available weather score · partialTuesday, Aug 25 · 8.3/10
Thu
Thursday, Aug 20
6.5/10
Partial
Light Rain Likely
60°48°
Wind4 mph NRain57%Clouds91%Moon50%
Fri
Friday, Aug 21
6.9/10
Partial
Chance Light Rain
63°45°
Wind3 mph SRain49%Clouds86%Moon61%
Sat
Saturday, Aug 22
6.9/10
Partial
Chance Rain Showers
61°43°
Wind1 mph ERain47%Clouds85%Moon71%
Sun
Sunday, Aug 23
7.4/10
Partial
Chance Rain Showers
67°44°
Wind2 mph NNWRain28%Clouds58%Moon80%
Mon
Monday, Aug 24
7.8/10
Partial
Mostly Cloudy
69°47°
Wind3 mph WSWRain10%Clouds83%Moon88%
Tue
Tuesday, Aug 25
8.3/10
Partial
Slight Chance Rain Showers
69°48°
Wind5 mph SSWRain23%Clouds75%Moon94%
The large Current Fishing Score above uses current conditions and, on eligible river pages, can include a conservative USGS streamflow penalty. The seven daily cards remain weather-only because this site does not predict future river flow. Cards marked “Partial” use less than 90% of the weighted weather inputs.
Kenai River fishing conditions overview
The current weather inputs produce a good weather-based Fishing Score. Very light wind may leave clear, calm water more demanding; broken to mostly cloudy skies can extend low-light feeding.
Estimated activity windows: 5:41 AM–7:56 AM and 8:18 PM–10:33 PM local time. These are dawn/dusk windows, not guaranteed bite times.
Best fishing time today: estimated windows
The first estimated window runs from 5:41 AM–7:56 AM, around sunrise at 6:26 AM. The second runs from 8:18 PM–10:33 PM, around sunset at 9:48 PM. Lower light can change visibility and fish positioning, but actual feeding periods vary by species, season and water conditions.
Kenai River fishing: structure, seasons and local conditions
Southcentral Alaska river famous for salmon runs and large rainbow trout. For fishing decisions, useful local reference areas include pools, runs and current seams. Those features are more informative than treating the whole forecast area as one uniform piece of water. Kenai River is best read reach by reach. pools, runs and current seams can create noticeably different current speed and depth within the same forecast area, so the weather score is most useful when paired with what the river is doing at the specific access point.
Alaska has a pronounced warm-up and cool-down cycle. Spring can pull activity toward warming shallows or current edges; midsummer often increases the value of depth, shade, current or cooler water; and fall cooling can broaden the usable zone again. Those shifts matter differently to Chinook salmon and Sockeye salmon, so recent conditions are more useful than assuming the same pattern all season. The practical decision on Kenai River is not only whether the score is high; it is whether pools, runs and current seams remain fishable at the current flow and water level.
Common targets at Kenai River include Chinook salmon, Sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, and Rainbow trout. They do not use depth, current and cover in exactly the same way, so the Fishing Score remains a conditions index rather than a species-specific bite prediction. This page also has a manually mapped USGS reference station, so fresh water temperature, flow or level can be shown when that station reports a supported sensor.
What to watch in today's conditions
Wind
Current wind is about 2 mph from NNW, with gusts near 2 mph. Crosswind and gusts can change boat control and presentation, while bends and protected banks may remain much calmer.
Barometric pressure
Current NWS pressure is missing, so pressure is excluded from this update and the Fishing Score is visibly marked as partial.
Moon phase and light
The moon is currently in the Waxing Crescent phase with approximately 38% illumination. Lunar illumination has a smaller weight than the main weather factors.
Target species
Chinook salmonSockeye salmonCoho salmonRainbow trout
Always verify current state fishing regulations, seasons, bag limits, licensing requirements and location-specific closures before fishing.
How this forecast is calculated
The Fishing Score starts with National Weather Service weather data: pressure 28%, wind 24%, cloud cover 18%, precipitation probability 18% and lunar illumination 12%. Missing weather factors are never treated as zero; partial weather results are pulled toward a neutral 5/10 according to the missing weight. On eligible river pages, a separate conservative USGS flow check can only reduce the current score when streamflow is unusually far from the long-term seasonal median or changing rapidly. It never increases the score.
Quick answers
Kenai River fishing forecast FAQ
What is the Fishing Score for Kenai River today?
The current Fishing Score is 7.6 out of 10 with 72% weighted data coverage. The score is partial and is pulled toward neutral conditions rather than assuming missing inputs are favorable.
What is the best fishing time at Kenai River today?
The page highlights estimated low-light windows of 5:41 AM–7:56 AM and 8:18 PM–10:33 PM local time, centered around sunrise and sunset. They are planning windows, not guaranteed bite times.
What fish are commonly targeted at Kenai River?
Common target species listed for Kenai River include Chinook salmon, Sockeye salmon, Coho salmon, Rainbow trout. Seasons, legal limits and local closures can change, so always verify current regulations before fishing.
What weather factors are used for Kenai River?
The Fishing Score uses barometric pressure and trend, wind, cloud cover, precipitation probability and moon illumination. Missing inputs are excluded rather than treated as zero.
Does this page include USGS water conditions for Kenai River?
Yes. This page uses the manually mapped Kenai River at Soldotna, AK reference station when fresh supported observations are available. Water temperature, streamflow or water level can appear depending on the station sensors. When approved long-term statistics are available, the page can compare the current reading with the seasonal median for the same calendar day. On river pages with at least 20 approved observations contributing to that calendar day, unusually extreme or rapidly changing flow may conservatively reduce the Fishing Score; water data never adds bonus points.
What is the water temperature at Kenai River?
The latest supported USGS water-temperature observation shown on this page is 51.4°F from Kenai River at Soldotna, AK. Readings older than 48 hours are not presented as current.