Alaska
Russian River
Live Conditions
Russian River — Russian River near Cooper Landing, AK
24-Hr Pressure
29.53 inHg · → High/stable
Local Weather
Tough conditions — fish deep
Today
🌦️Drizzle
63° / 41°
0.02"
Tomorrow
☁️Overcast
75° / 43°
Thu
🌤️Mainly clear
72° / 48°
Fri
🌦️Drizzle
69° / 51°
Cold front incoming — go deep with nymphs, surface activity likely slow.
Weather by Open-Meteo · No API key · Updated every 30 min
What should I fish today?
One call. Specific to today's exact conditions on the Russian River.
Time of Day
What should I pack?
Rod, flies, tippet, and safety gear specific to today's Russian River conditions.
🪰 Hatch Calendar
Russian River · June · Early Summer
Showing typical dates — water temperature data unavailable for live hatch predictions.
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SOCKEYE OPENS JUNE 11 — peak Cooper Landing scene. Sockeye on flesh-colored Russian River flies (Coho fly, sparsely tied). 3 fish/day, 6 in possession. Fly-fishing-only — no other tackle permitted.
River Map
About Russian River
The Russian River is the most heavily fished sockeye salmon stream in Alaska — possibly the most fished sockeye stream in the world during peak runs — and the entire river is fly-fishing-only under ADF&G regulation. Single-hook, unweighted, artificial fly only, gap ≤3/8", weight <1/4 oz. The fly-only designation makes it a perfect fit for this site's audience. Beyond the iconic sockeye run (June 11 – Aug 20, 3 fish/day), the Russian holds wild rainbow trout that key on salmon eggs and carcasses through fall. Trailhead access off the Sterling Highway near Cooper Landing — the parking lot fills by 5 AM on peak sockeye days. A small, wadeable, gin-clear tributary to the Kenai, the Russian fishes more on salmon-count than on water level; at normal summer flows the entire river is wadeable.
Regulations
Alaska sport fishing license required ($20 resident / $100 non-resident annual). FLY FISHING ONLY on the entire Russian River — single-hook, unweighted, artificial fly only (gap ≤3/8", weight <1/4 oz). No bait, no spin gear, no other tackle. Sockeye season: June 11 – Aug 20, 3 fish/day, 6 in possession. The Sanctuary Area at the Russian/Kenai confluence has additional restrictions. Rainbow trout: catch-and-release strongly encouraged. Verify current regulations and emergency orders at adfg.alaska.gov before fishing.