This spot, just north of Sterling, is primarily a boat launch, but it also offers excellent sockeye fishing. It’s located at the end of Bing’s Landing Road: There’s a parking lot, but when the fishing is hot, you can expect to park alongside the road, up to half a mile away from the boat launch site. (Another reason you might park on the road: The lot near the boat launch has a fee.)
Last Call for Sockeye
Bing’s is farther upstream than most road-accessible fishing spots on the Kenai River, which makes it an excellent spot to target once the sockeye have pushed farther up the river. Indeed, this is one of the last places to find sockeye, near the roads, before the Kenai River reaches Skilak Lake; beyond that spot, the sockeye are untouchable until they reach the Upper Kenai about a week later.
Bing’s has two boardwalks that flank the boat launch, and most people fish from those. The favorite spot at Bing’s, however, is actually a short hike from the parking lot. At the boat launch, you’ll find a small dirt trail that follows the river downstream. Follow that and you’ll reach the primary fishing hole—it may be crowded, but often full of fish.
Playing to Stacked Fish
Your best sockeye technique here is much like it is in other locations—except that your period of “opportunity” is much smaller. The sockeye at Bing’s will stack heavily in a small area created by several large boulders and, coupled with a large crowd, can make hitting the salmon a little more difficult. Your best bet, then, is to use extra weight, so that your fly and line will travel to the bottom much quicker. You may have to help your line along, but it will be in front of the fishes’ faces for longer—which means a better opportunity for a hook-up.
