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Skilak Lake outlet to Soldotna. The legendary king and silver river, with trophy rainbows behind them. The river tops out around 15 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
The drawn water covers 2,368 acres wrapped in 89.1 miles of bank. A development index of 13.1 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. Call it 31 mi long by 7.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. Kenai Peninsula Borough claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Watson Lake, is 7 mi to the northeast.
Spring chinook salmon on Kenai River (Middle) hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 5 to 15 ft in summer, 5 to 15 ft once it turns cold. Put Current seam (mile 33.0) first on the milk run — a current seam near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Early season coho salmon use the shallows, holding in 2 to 15 ft. Even in summer they hold at 5 to 15 ft; winter keeps them in 5 to 15 ft. Put Current seam (mile 33.0) first on the milk run — a current seam near 8 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Small spoon, slow troll |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Current seam (mile 33.0): a current seam around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 33.0) (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Count 21 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Outside-bend hole (mile 16.2), sits near 11 ft.
Access data: Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game — Launch Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Alaska waters are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game — and special regulations can apply to Kenai River (Middle) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Alaska fishing regulations →
Kenai River (Middle) is about 15 ft (5 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, rainbow trout on Kenai River (Middle).
Current seam (mile 33.0) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For chinook salmon, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Kenai River (Middle) is regulated by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Check the official Alaska regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Watson Lake 7 mi · Egumen Lake 7 mi · Kelly Lake 9 mi · Engineer Lake 10 mi · Skilak Lake 10 mi · Hidden Lake 12 mi · Silver Lake 14 mi · Swan Lake 14 mi · Jean Lake 15 mi · Paddle Lake 21 mi · Lower Russian Lake 21 mi · Tustumena Lake 23 mi
See how Kenai River (Middle) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Alaska · best chinook salmon lakes in Alaska · best coho salmon lakes in Alaska
More water nearby: Kenai Peninsula Borough fishing maps (23 charts). Browse all Alaska fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.