Back up to AK May 2015, mostly sight-seeing with friends, staying a couple of nights on Kenai Lake. Been there, but never fished it, sounds like there's lakers, bows, and dollys. Anybody with experience fishing from shore? Not meat hunting, just recreational, appreciate any info. Web searches just turn up Kenai river, different ball game. Thanks.

A bit of bottom bait soaked by night often turns up a laker.

I see a lot of folks fishing the outlet with spinners and flies, whether wet or dry I don't know.

Stayed at the Kenai Lake cabins (now something else) and they told me I should fish it for Lakers as their kids had caught a few. Rigged up a bottom bait set-up and fished salmon roe. It was a bit slow, but still beautiful scenery to take up the slack time. Caught a 5lb laker the time I fished the lake. Would bet late evening/night time would be the best time. I fished daytime while my filets were on the smoker.

Their kids laughed at me and showed me pics of their 15+ pounders.

I have 2 canoes, paddles, and PFDs, if you'd like to use them.

Thanks Bender, have to see if we can figure out a way to take you up on your offer, sure would like to. Thinking that somehow this is going to cost me more beer...:)

If I had a car and someone loaned me a canoe, I head towards Stirling and paddle out from Watson lake back to Afonasi and enjoy some wonderful rainbow fishing. Might be a little early in May depending on if the lakes have iced out, but one of my favorite spots off the road system.

Coming from Kenai towards Anchorage on the Sterling Highway, turn off at the Sunrise Inn and follow the gravel road down to where Quartz Creek dumps into Kenai Lake. If you have chest waders, you can wade out to the drop-off, or, if you can get Mike's canoe, you can put in there and fish the edge of the drop-off.

When I say "drop-off" I mean it's like the Continental Shelf. It goes from a couple of feet to 60+ feet deep right now!

We've caught some impressive Lakers, Dollies, Rainbows, and Silvers there.

I hope you have a wonderful time and catch so many fish you get tired of fishing.

Ed

Just tried it last week and did not get squat bead fishing what worked for you Ed. I have never had any success with lake trout fishing Kenai LK. I am all ears heading out tomorrow for Kenai LK for my Sheep Permit again Biologist said he did not see a legal Ram this year in DS 156 survey.

Flesh flies, Wooly Buggers, soaking eggs, "Greased Liner" fly, Small Mepps spinner with foxtail (Size 0 with silver blade IIRC), and sculpin imitations all worked for me there.
I hooked a lake trout at that spot one New Years Day that stripped every bit of line off of my fly rod and well into the backing before the line snapped. I saw the fish once as it was hanging around the edge of the fresh water coming out of Quartz Creek. I was using a flesh fly tied on a #6 hook, 10lb leader, and dead drifting the fly with the current.
I've caught some nice silvers there this time of year on Purple Zonkers and flesh colored Wooly Buggers. Did OK with Rainbows there dead drifting "Greased Liners" and single egg imitations, too.

I hope you get your sheep. I LOVE Dall's Sheep!

Ed

I'm glad this thread resurfaced. I recently bought a place in the area and will be looking for places to take my kids that are relatively easy to fish.

Mark, Cooper lake has great trout fishing above Kenai Lake, lots of lakes between there and Sterling.