Located down Beaver Loop Road, just outside of Kenai, Cunningham Park is a great, easy-access location for sockeye and silver salmon. The shoreline here is a mix of gravel and mud, with the mud being more prevalent below the tidal zone. That said, this spot is very tidal dependent, so you’ll have to continually adjust your bait setup as the water rises or falls. There is parking (just for normal-size vehicles) and restrooms, and the fishing area is only a couple minutes’ walk from the parking lot.
Bring a Comfy Chair
Certainly, this is a relaxing place to fish: most anglers here fish while sitting in their lawn chairs. When the silvers are in, your best bet is a stationary bait rig; you’ll need a weight of about 2-4 ounces, in a shape that doesn’t easily roll (like a pyramid or sand-type sinker). That way, the river current won’t push your setup downstream, and your bait can stay in one place. The most common bait used here is salmon roe, but herring should also be effective, thanks to the close proximity of the river mouth.
