Each summer, thousands of Alaska residents and visitors alike stream into Soldotna on a quest for legendary Kenai River salmon. In fact, the world’s largest king salmon was plucked from the waters of the Kenai River in 1985 and the 97.2-pound trophy now hangs on the wall of the Soldotna Visitor Information Center. Biologists believe genetics and the fact that Kenai River salmon often spend an extra year at sea account for their gargantuan size. A trophy salmon elsewhere in Alaska is a 50-pound fish, while here, anglers don't get too excited until a king salmon tops 75 pounds.
All this makes Soldotna the most fish-crazy place in Alaska during the summer and the fastest growing city on the Kenai Peninsula with a population of just more than 4,000 residents. Soldotna is a full-service community and well set up for the wave of anglers who flock here from mid-May through September for the runs of red, silver and especially the king salmon in the lower Kenai River.