Two Very Different Rivers

The Upper and Lower Kenai River Are Two Entirely Different Adventures

First-time visitors are often surprised to discover that "the Kenai River" encompasses dramatically different experiences depending on which section you fish. The Upper Kenai, flowing through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge from Kenai Lake to the confluence with the Russian River, is a protected, non-motorized wilderness float — accessible only by drift boat, and characterized by a cathedral-like canopy of spruce and cottonwood, crystal-clear turquoise water, and an atmosphere of profound natural quiet. This is the setting of the river's legendary Rainbow Trout fishery. The Middle and Lower Kenai, by contrast, is a broader, more powerful river where motorized jet sleds and power boats cover significant distances to locate salmon in a more active, dynamic style of guiding. Both are extraordinary — they simply offer fundamentally different relationships with the river.