Drifting the upper Kenai, like the angler above, is a good way to get away from the crowds. There are excellent public launch sites available. You can also hire one of several guides for an outing. (CRAIG MEDRED / Anchorage Daily News)

Upper Kenai a drift-boat dream
This 18-mile run of water is often less crowded than lower river

By ANTHONY J. ROUTE
Daily News correspondent

T he Sterling Highway bridge, a two-hour drive south of Anchorage, is where the placid green water of Kenai Lake spills out to create one of southcentral Alaska’s top fisheries.

The subsequent 18-mile section of the Kenai River to Skilak Lake – known as the upper Kenai River – is a place every angler fishing Alaska should visit.

The highway roughly parallels the river’s course for the next 12 miles.

A couple of campgrounds and many informal parking spots punctuate this section of road. Besides affording beautiful views of the river, these places allow anyone with a car, rod and waders to gain access to a superb salmon and trophy trout fishery.

There are, however, some caveats.

• Forget king salmon. It’s illegal to fish for them on the upper river; king angling is done miles down the road on the lower section of the Kenai.

On the upper river you’ll have to make do with red and silver salmon. There are tons of them.

• Tons of salmon also means tons of people. But don’t despair. Most people enjoy the carnival like atmosphere of fishing shoulder-to-shoulder with other people intent on filling a cooler.

The hub of this activity centers around the Russian River campground and the Kenai River Ferry crossing. Salmon, however, are everywhere in the river, and you can find your own spot just by hunting around a bit.

While red salmon stream in during June and July, silver salmon start arriving in appreciable numbers by August. By then, the freezer-filling frenzy of early summer has subsided. Far fewer silvers arrive than reds, but you’re likely to have more personal space to pursue them.

Rainbow trout and Dolly Varden join the seasonal parade of Pacific salmon. For fly-fishing and light-tackle enthusiasts, these are the real gems.

Dolly Varden approaching 10 pounds and even larger rainbow trout are caught each season.

An angler on foot can catch these trophies, but angling odds increase greatly if you float the river. Excellent public launch sites are available at the Kenai River bridge, Sportsman’s Landing and Jim’s Landing. Rafting anglers typically put in at the bridge or Sportsman’s Landing; after floating and fishing for the day, they pull out at Jim’s Landing.

Downstream of Jim’s Landing is the canyon section of the upper Kenai, which still affords good fishing but strays away from the Sterling Highway and requires a six-mile crossing of the often turbulent waters of Skilak Lake to reach the upper campground takeout spot.

Dozens of registered guides work the upper Kenai. Hire one, and the guide will pull the oars and lead you to trophy trout while you sit back and scan the mountainsides for Dall sheep.