How To Floss Salmon on the Kenai River: All You Need to Know

Flossing for salmon on the breathtaking Kenai River in Alaska takes practice, but it’s much easier with the right gear and know-how.

If you want to catch some salmon on the turquoise Kenai River by rod and reel this summer, you must know how to floss for these fish correctly to increase your chances of success.

In this how-to guide on how to floss salmon on the Kenai River, I’ll tell you all you need to know to have a successful do it yourself Alaska fishing trip.

Topics include the best times to floss for salmon, where to go, what fishing gear to use, how to floss, fishing regulations, and other fishing tips.

Flossing for salmon on the Kenai River in Alaska is a bucket-list experience not to be missed!

Alaska is home to the largest population of salmon in the United States. Over 1.5 to 3 million sockeye (red) salmon make their way up the Kenai River yearly.

There are two specific Kenai River salmon runs: an early run (peaking in mid-June) and a late run (peaking in mid-July).

Come with me and learn how to floss for salmon on the Kenai River correctly and what rods, reels, and tackle to bring.

How to Floss for Salmon

To fully understand how to floss for salmon, you need some background information about the salmon’s lifecycle. These fish are just starting to make their way to their spawning grounds.

Once sockeye salmon enter the river to spawn, they stop feeding. They will usually not bite your hook intentionally.

However, these fish have mouths that continually open and close. The fact that their mouths move this way will help you catch them by flossing.

The idea behind flossing is that a line weighted with a lead weight and a hook drifts in front of a fish and passes between its upper and lower jaw as it’s pulled to the surface.

This line runs through their teeth, essentially “flossing” them. To comply with Alaska fishing regulations, the fishing hook needs an attractor, like a plastic bead or piece of yarn.

It’s not hard to catch fish once you get the hang of it. In no time, you’ll be flossing your way to a stringer of sockeye salmon, ready for your freezer or grill.

I do want to mention that sockeye can bite your hook when aggravated. In their spawning grounds at Skilak Lake, you can successfully troll for sockeye with plugs.

This article assumes that flossing is done successfully through technique rather than by a salmon biting the hook.

Flossing for salmon is not the same technique as snagging salmon, which is illegal on the Kenai River.

Snagging salmon involves pulling a line through the water with a lot of force to catch or hook the fish so that the hook embeds in the fish anywhere on its body.

• Gentle hooking motions
• Dragging the hook through the water
• Aiming to hook the fish in the mouth
• Legal on the Kenai River

Planning A trip to Floss for salmon

Salmon Flossing Gear

Bringing the proper clothing and other essential fishing gear is also crucial. For starters, you will need fishing waders, rain gear, a ball cap, polarized sunglasses, and wading boots.

Reverse drag reel

The best fly rods have a reverse drag system. One such reel that I’m aware of is a Billy Pate reel (pictured below).

A reverse drag system allows a fish to pull the line out without putting much strain on the reel. These reels have excellent performance but are pricey at around $600.

I love mine, but I will say it’s not necessary. I’ve also seen many people forget their rods and reels, and it is not worth the risk when you can get a good setup (rod and reel) for around $150 versus $600+.

Tying a Salmon Leader

I recommend using a line with a 30-pound test. The weight should be heavy enough to keep your line close to the bottom of the river.

Start with 3/4 ounces, but depending on the current, you might need to work up to 1 ounce.

Lastly, the hook should be firm and sharp, sufficient to penetrate a salmon’s rigid jaw. You can purchase fishing hardware and gear at the Trustworthy Hardware store in Soldotna.

Pro tip: Consider bringing a small sharpening stone to sharpen your hooks. When used on the Kenai River, razor-sharp hooks create more hookups and dull fast.

Sharpening your hook is easy and worth the effort. You can save a hook rather than just tying on a new one.

Finding Sockeye Salmon

Some salmon travel in different locations on the Kenai River.

For instance, king salmon swim on the banks and out in the middle of the river. However, sockeye salmon, in general, do not.

Sockeyes swim within 2 to 3 feet of the river bank. This is helpful information because it allows fishermen fishing from docks or in the water to successfully reach the fish when flossing.

You want to be in moving water as this allows you to drift your line from upstream to downstream. Once you’ve found a good spot, ensure you have permission from the landowner before fishing or are on public property.

There are a lot of public fishing access points on the Kenai River. Below is a list of some of these public access areas.

Flossing salmon technique

Now, it’s time to start flossing salmon. The method involves casting your line upstream at about 9 or 10 o’clock (facing the river straight out) and then letting the line drift downstream.

The line has a lead weight and a hook with some attractor (i.e., a bead or a piece of yarn) attached. As your line drifts downstream, ensure your weight is on the bottom of the river or riverbed.

You will feel your weight roll along the rocks through your rod tip. As your technique improves, you’ll feel like Brad Pitt in A River Runs Through It and become one with your rod.

If the weight is too heavy, it gets caught in the rocks. If it’s too light, you won’t feel it bump the stones on the river bed.

As the tip of your rod is held low and it reaches a 4 to 5 o’clock position, lift the tip of the rod swiftly.

This motion pulls the hook across the water and, hopefully, in front of a salmon with its mouth open. Once you feel resistance, set the hook firmly and reel in the salmon.

Be patient, as this process may take some time. Kenai sockeye salmon are more enormous and fight harder than most sockeye.

fishing Regulations

It’s also important to note that you must follow the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (AKFG) regulations.

There may be restrictions on the size and number of salmon you can catch. Be sure to check the rules before you begin fishing.

The AKFG sometimes issues emergency orders, requiring immediate fish and game regulations changes on specific dates.

The bottom line is to read the rules, talk to the AKFG, and sign up for email alerts regarding emergency orders.

Fish not caught in the mouth (i.e., foul hooked or snagged) cannot be retained. Releasing fish goes for those caught in the gills, too.

Even fish that die are part of the circle of life, so they do not go to waste. Fish foul-hooked cannot be removed from the water.

There’s plenty of fish in the river, so follow the rules. Lastly, be respectful of the fish and the environment.

Fish carcasses should be thrown in the river, ideally as far away from the bank as possible. When in a bear country, you must practice good bear safety techniques.

If you catch a salmon, handle it gently and use a net if possible. If you decide to release the fish, do so carefully, ensuring it’s healthy enough to survive.

Also, pack out all your trash and respect the natural surroundings.