My Alaskan Fishing Trip
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Salmon Run Lodge

7 Reviews - TripAdvisor® Traveler Rating
Salmon Run Lodge - Rainbow Trout
  • Approximate Cost:
    6 - 7 Days: $1,500 to $2,000 Per Person
    4 - 5 Days: $1,500 to $2,000 Per Person
    2 - 3 Days: $500 to $1,000 Per Person
  • Type: Lodges
  • Fishing: Fly Fishing Freshwater Fishing Guided Fishing Self Guided Fishing

Salmon Run Lodge sits along the Sterling Highway in Cooper Landing. This is the Upper Kenai River and the place where combat fishing most likely we invented. The local area is just on the outskirts of the Kenai Wildlife Refuge and presents easy access to the Kenai River, Kenai Lake, Skilak Lake, and the Russian River. Both the Kenai and the Russian River are known for their heavy runs of Salmon, their plentiful Trophy Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden.

Staying with Salmon Run Lodge

Salmon Run Lodge is not just a lodge; it is an entire fishing outfit. The lodge sits next to a general store; that is also a huge convenience as everything in Cooper Landing is a drive. They have an outstanding fish processing business and speaking from first-hand knowledge, I could not have asked for better service. Rodney is the owner, and he takes good care of all of his customers, whether you stay here or not.

They offer a variety of rooms such as cabins with multiple beds. Expect electricity 24-7, hot water, and TV. Are these the ritziest rooms? No, in fact, they are rustic, but they offer a lot of comfort and everything that fishermen needs for a fishing base. Let me tell you, fishing here starts early so you do not spend a lot of time in your rooms. If you are Halibut Fishing out of Homer, your day starts at 4 am. If you are salmon fishing, your day starts as early as 5 am. If you are not fishing with a guide, then its combat fishing and you want to get up and find a spot on the river as soon as it is light outside. I cannot find a fault with staying here, especially since you can find shelter here for as little as $40 a night, there are more exclusive cabins too.

Fishing in the Upper Kenai

There are a lot of guides available, and you should ask about booking a guide when you set up your reservation. We used Alaska Clearwater Fishing and loved them. This is the epicenter for fishing. There are King Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Silver Salmon, Pink Salmon ( on even years) and Chum Salmon. There are also trophy sized - 30" Rainbow Trout, and some pretty good sized Dolly Varden.

A good guide knows where the fish are. This is the Upper Kenai, so the fish run dates are just different from those posted on the Alaska Fish and Game site and other lodge sites. My best advice is to ask your guide. The guides know where the King Salmon spawning beds are and when fishing there the Kind Season is closed, but this is where you find the 30" Rainbows. The Sockeye run is insanely large. I can tell you a million or two million fish, but it will not sink in until they are swimming by your ankles. There is a ton of fishing to be had here, and Salmon Run Lodge is just the place to make your fishing base.


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TripAdvisor® Traveler Rating
  • 7 Reviews
  • LocationLocation
    Sleep QualitySleep Quality
    RoomsRooms
    ServiceService
    ValueValue
    CleanlinessCleanliness
TripAdvisor® Traveler Reviews
Nice folks and reasonably priced
4.0 Star Rating
Reviewed By on August 9, 2019
  • When I was quoted the price I was a little concerned. I was afraid it was a lower end place but how wrong I was. We had no reservation and needed a place after our plans changed unexpectedly. These...
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Nice Room, excellent hosts
4.0 Star Rating
Reviewed By on July 9, 2018
  • We are from Alaska and anted to spend the evening after fishing the Russian River. We found The Salmon Run Lodge that had very reasonably priced rooms and decided to give them a try. We were not...
  • 2 Helpful Votes
  • Read Full Review
Fish Processing Services
4.0 Star Rating
Reviewed By on August 10, 2017
  • While we did not sleep here - After catching a few on the Kasilof, our guide recommended using Salmon Run for the processing. They did a great job packing the fish to our custom size and it was...
  • Read Full Review

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