i am thinking about doing a trip to the kenai canoe area. i have never been. anyone want to share experiences. i plan on fishing for trout with a flyrod.
thanks

My brother runs Anadyr Adventures in Valdez. They do sea kayaking trips in Prince William Sound. Google ANADYR and then e-mail from there. At the least, he can give you a ton of info about the area.

I was there in 1992. I didn't paddle, but I do recall that there was an area designated for canoe tripping - similar to a Quetico trip, portaging between lakes. South of Anchorage on the Kenai peninsula. Found the following with a web search for "canoeing in alaska" , and it might be one or another of these that I am thinking of.

"The Swan Lake canoe trail encompasses up to 30 lakes and 33 miles of river. The Swanson River canoe trail ancompasses up to 40 lakes and 46 miles of river." near Soldotna.

"We highly recommend for unguided tours the purchase of the book: "The Kenai Canoe Trails" by Daniel L. Quick. Northlite Publishing Company. The book has in great detail: maps, a description of campsites, lake descriptions, fishing information (what fish are in what lakes and how to catch them) and wildlife viewing information. Visit their website at   (You need to Login or Register

The guidebook above would be a good start. I spent about six weeks in Alaska, and don't recall ever seeing anyone canoeing. The river trips that I have read about all seem to be rafting trips, and drift boats were the norm for fishing. People who live along the rivers use motor boats or jet boats for "commuting". One thing for sure, is that the rivers were all full of glacial silt, so you would want to have a bucket to allow silt to settle before filtering your water, and probably bring an extra filter cartridge.

a couple of other resources you might want to check out would be the Alaska Milepost book - an annual publication with info on what is along all the highways, has current info on highway construction, what to do and see, etc., and gives you a good "thumbnail sketch" of what you will find along the highways. Alaska Magazine would be another good resource - you might find a website for them, and see if they have any articles on canoeing areas that might be of interest.

wrote on Nov 24^th, 2005 at 10:27pm:

i am thinking about doing a trip to the kenai canoe area. i have never been. anyone want to share experiences. i plan on fishing for trout with a flyrod. thanks

Hellow gbac.
I wish I would have seen this sooner.  There's not much I can comment on or help folks with on here being a rookie myself, but living in Kenai, I can at least help here.
Matt gave you a descent short description.  I have the book he recomended, & it's great, with maos, aireal photos, & descriptions of every lake & portage.  It's well worth the price.
There are two systems, that drain into two rivers.  They start on opposite sides of the same road, but go into individual watersheds.  Both are designated wilderness areas for most of there length.  Both get a fair amount of use on the first lake or two, but the use drops sharply as you get in further. The Swanson river system encompases a total of approx. 80 miles & is pretty much an out & back or straight thru run with no chance of a loop.
The Swan lake ststem can be done as a large loop with many one in & out detours, or can be done as astraight thru run ending on the Moose river where it enters the Kenai river.
According to what the experts say, it takes 6-8 days to do a complete tour of either systen, so you could easily spend two weeks on the two combined.
These are true wilderness areas with no practical way in or out other than the access at the ends of the canoe trails.  The put ins are easily accessible off of a good gravel road approx. 25 miles in.  If you decided to do it I would try & make myself available to help with shuttles.
Most of the lakes are small, the average probably under 100 acres, & the largest 800 acres.  Fish in most of them.
I don't think you'd regret the trip.  Canoe & car rentals are available locally or in Anchorage, a 150 mile one way drive.
If there is any local info I can help you with, or you have any questions, please ask.  I've gained much knowledge from this sight & would like to give a little back.
By the way, I've never gone all the way thru either system, although I may get the chance this year.  I've only done a couple of the lakes & 20 miles of the Swanson river a few times.  Like I say, I'm a beginner.
Feel free to email me if you like.
Current email is
kenaibible@alaska.com
Vance in AK.

thanks for the replies.
i have that book already and i have  some specific questions. what is the best time of the summer to go?  do the salmon run in the moose river that exits the swan lake route? is there a shuttle that can drop me off or pick me up and return me to my car? if so who? where is the best place to rent a canoe? best fly patterns for trout and salmon?
thanks