Fishing Report: Dipnetting on the Kenai starting to heat up

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - It’s something that Alaska residents look forward to all year long the Kenai dipnetting season and it’s finally here.

For some it’s an easy way to fill the freezer, and for others it is just a fun and easy way to get out and catch some fish. Either way, there isn’t much time to get the net in the water because the season started July 10 and wraps up on July 31, in an effort to keep the fishery healthy for years to come.

In that same effort, dipnetters are not allowed to keep kings this year, so anglers can only catch and keep sockeye and flounder. The seasonal limit is 25 salmon and 10 flounder for the permit holder, and 10 salmon for each additional household member.

On the weekends and busier days, hundreds of Alaska residents will file in shoulder-to-shoulder in the water rounding up the red salmon. Tents will line the beach because of the short 21-day season, as many dipnetters spend a few days camped on the beach.

Anglers need to make sure that parking is paid for and that your permit is displayed somewhere easy to see, tents also need to have a tag that is visible — both of which can be bought from the booths at the entrance of the North Beach Parking lot. Anglers hoping to catch a glimpse of the dies or how busy the beach is can visit livestreams that are provided to keep everyone as up to date as possible.

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